Shattered Forever
by Cerianna
Summary: It was supposed to be the "happy ever after," but what if something unexpected interferes? How do you pick up the pieces of a shattered forever?
1. Fire and Flight

A/N: There is no Renesmee, and no cottage in the woods. I hope you enjoy... And huge thanks to Project Team Beta and Bree for making this readable (English is not my native language, if you're wondering).

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Chapter 1: Fire and Flight

Bella and Jasper were running toward home after hunting. They usually kept company hunting nowadays since they were the ones who needed to hunt more than the others. Bella had good control, but she still preferred not to be too thirsty, and Jasper made similar precautions; hence, they were hunting every week instead of every other week like the others. Of course, it was more fun to hike with the rest of the family, but both Bella and Jasper had made an effort in making their own, shorter trips as fun as possible.

They were running quite slow, being full with the blood of two bears and a herd of deer they had come across. It had been an unusually good hunt, and Emmett would be real grumpy that he had missed out. They laughed and joked, teasing each other. Bella was happy Jasper had warmed up to her. He was so much fun when he wanted to, and he could tell the most amazing stories.

It was a beautiful summer's day. Insects flew lazily through the air, and flowers spread their sweet scents through the forest. The whole family was preparing to go on their various vacations. Of course, they could all travel when they wanted to, but they usually waited until Carlisle was free from the hospital.

Bella and Edward had planned to go to Europe—Paris and Madrid—and maybe some other places. Bella had never been to Europe—unless you counted the trip to Volterra—and Edward wanted to show her everything he knew she would like: the museums, the libraries, the old architecture. Bella was looking forward to this very much. They hadn't really been alone since the honeymoon. And even if it were the same for all of them, living together in the big house, some privacy would be nice.

Charlie was going to come and say happy journey in three days, so Bella figured she might have to hunt again just before that, just in case, but for now she was so full she couldn't get anything more down. It was nice to still be able to include Charlie in her life and not being forced to move away from Forks. It had been over two years since she was changed and she had never felt better. She loved her new life, she loved Edward, and she loved her new family. Sure, she had lost some—she could never see Angela again for example—but she had gained so much that it easily outweighed the things she'd lost.

Suddenly, she could hear Jasper laugh beside her as they were running. "You look a little off there, Bella. Want to race home?" He had a wicked grin on his face. She stuck her tongue out at him and made a face.

"You know I'm completely full, Jazz. You just want an easy victory!" He laughed and picked up his pace. She groaned a little but kept up. They were closing in on home when suddenly they both heard a sound they had not expected. A wolf howled in the distance. They both stopped. Jasper looked at Bella. "Do you recognize that voice?" he asked. Bella shook her head. She knew all the wolves in La Push and their voices; this was not one of the Quileute wolves. Suddenly, they heard a scream, and they knew _that_ voice: Rose. Without another word, they started running again, a lot faster than before. Bella could see Jasper overtake her, but he didn't gain that much —she was fast. The sounds and scents coming at them from their home gave Bella shivers. It smelled like wolf and sounded like fighting; they could hear loud growls and barks. She didn't understand. Who were these wolves?

Jasper halted abruptly by the river before jumping and stopped Bella in her track. His grip on her arm was very hard, but the scene that met them was so horrifying she didn't even notice. Huge wolves had surrounded the house and were attacking their family. Jasper made a quick count: fifteen wolves, give or take a few. He had never seen a pack of this size. He could see Rose lying on the ground, her head severed from her body and her limbs broken and in pieces. He saw Emmett desperately trying to fight off four wolves with just one arm, the other gone. He saw Edward and Carlisle obviously trying to make a path for Esme and Alice. Alice got caught when she tried to dodge out of the way, and a huge brown wolf threw her into the wall of the house with a loud crash. The wolf pounced as soon she was on the ground. Jasper took a step forward in an attack crouch, ready to leap.

Esme got free and ran toward him and Bella, fear in her eyes and clothes torn. She was not going to make it. She threw a bag at the same time a wolf caught her.

"Run!" she screamed. "Run! Save her, Jasper!"

Jasper straightened and caught the bag just as he saw both Carlisle and Edward being taken down by more wolves. His mind told him this was a lost fight; they could not win. He wanted to kill these wolves, sink his teeth in their necks, crush their bones, but his military self took command; there was no way out except flight. And he had someone who needed him. With a huge effort, forcing himself to be ruled by rationality rather than his feelings, he turned to Bella. She was even paler than usual, her face a mask of terror. And then she screamed. It was a piercing scream—a scream of pain. He gripped her arms and turned her violently to face him. He stared into her golden eyes, now filled with fear and anguish.

"Run, Bella!" he screamed at her, and she did. He held her hand, steering her away from the hunting wolves that were following, going east. It didn't take long until he himself felt a pain in his chest so severe; he had never felt anything like it. He knew what it was, but he didn't allow himself to think about it. Mere seconds had passed, and yet, their whole lives were upside-down. With huge determination, he shoved the pain to the back of his mind.

Bella didn't want to understand. The pain in her chest was overriding anything else. It was worse than the pain of the change in a way. But it wasn't a burning; it was a sharp pain, stabbing, as if it was carving a hole in her chest where her heart used to be. She ran, hand in hand with Jasper, and she could hear the wolves behind them. She didn't know where they were running, but she didn't care. The pain made everything else seem redundant. She didn't know for how long they had been running, but suddenly, they were on a cliff and diving into the water. She still followed Jasper, and he led her through the water, obviously having a goal. They got out of the water on a rocky shoreline by a road. Bella fell to her hands and knees, and finally accepting what had just happened, why her chest hurt like that, she threw up what blood she had left in her stomach after the morning hunt.

Jasper looked back out over the water behind them. The wolves were not following, as he had hoped. When Bella was done being sick, he made her sit up and look at him. Her eyes were dead. There really was no other word for what he saw in them. Almost black again since she had no more blood in her system, they were flat, the depth gone. And her emotions … They were so dark he had to try and shield himself from them or they would knock him down in a pit he wasn't sure he would be able to crawl up from. He sat down beside her and opened the bag. It was one of those waterproof things, and he was glad it was when he saw what was in it. It was filled with cash, and he found his wallet in there as well. It held his credit cards and his driver's license; this was going to make things much easier. On the bottom, under the cash, he could see something else. It looked like a sheet of paper. He decided not to look at it now; he didn't have time for breaking down just yet. He looked at Bella again. She stared out over the water, but her eyes didn't really see anything.

"Bella?" he asked gently. She turned her head and looked at him as if she didn't really know what was going on. He knew that look all too well; she was shutting down to cope. He really didn't want to think of how often, in his distant past, it was he who had caused such haunted eyes.

"Bella, we need to move. Come on; don't shut down on me just yet, little sister."

To that she reacted a little—a small movement. She blinked her eyes and then she stood up; he joined her. He took her hand, and they started walking along the road toward the lights that were Seattle.

Jasper bought a cell phone then checked them into a small motel on the outskirts of the city. He paid for three nights in advance, not knowing when they would be able to leave. The room only had one double bed, but he really didn't care, it was not as if they needed it. Bella sank down on the floor by the foot of the bed while Jasper emptied the bag on top of it. The piece of paper he had seen before ended up at the top of the pile—it was a simple piece of stationary, with handwriting he knew all too well. He would read it soon. There was also a clear CD case with a note inside it that said "I love you forever" in Edwards's scripture. Jasper knew what this was. With a heavy heart, he kneeled by Bella's side.

"Edward left this for you." She looked at him, still with that faraway look on her face. When he held up the CD, she stretched out her hands hesitantly and took it, reading the words, tracing them with her fingertips, and then clutching it hard to her chest. Her eyes were suddenly filled with pain and despair, and Jasper had to make an effort not to keel over from the flow of emotions. He gathered all of his strength and managed to send her some calm before he succeeded in blocking her out. He rose from her side and grabbed the cell; he had some calls to make before he could allow himself to really accept what had happened.

The first call was to Tanya in Denali. The six vampires up there were family, and they deserved to know first. Tanya answered after a few rings.

"Hello?" Her voice was a bit apprehensive; she didn't know the number that was calling.

"Hello, Tanya, this is Jasper."

"Jasper? How nice to hear from you! It has been far too long since any of you Cullens gave us a call," she sang with her beautiful voice.

"I'm so sorry, Tanya, but there has been a real … tragedy." Tanya went silent. He didn't know how to continue, the grief started to edge in on his mind. When she spoke again her voice was worried and all business.

"Jasper? Are you still there? What's happened?"

"They were attacked, Tanya. We were attacked. By shape-shifters, huge wolves. But not the Quileutes; others, who we don't know."

"What? But why? Are you okay?" Jasper shook his head to clear his mind; he couldn't cave in just yet.

"I don't know why. And no, we are not okay. Only Bella and I escaped Tanya. The rest … The rest are dead." His voice trailed off in a whisper. Tanya wailed on the other end, her grief and shock so tangible he almost gave in to the pain and sorrow. After just a short while, she went silent.

"We need help," Jasper said.

"Of course! Shall we come and get you? Where are you?" Her voice was strained and forced now.

"We're in Seattle, but we both need new papers; we have no passports. We have to arrange that first, and it will take a few days."

"It will take us almost two days to get there, but we will be there. Can I reach you at this number?" She was back to her serious, all-business voice again.

"Yes. And please hurry, Tanya."

"I have to get a hold of the rest, but we'll hurry. We'll take a car; it's easier than going through the airports. I guess we'll leave in an hour or so. Take care of yourself, Jasper, and take care of Bella."

"I promise." They both hung up.

The next call was to Billy Black in La Push. Jasper needed to know if the Quileutes had had any knowledge of this other pack. Several minutes passed before someone answered.

"Black residence, who's this?" Jasper recognized the chief's voice at once.

"This is Jasper Hale."

"Jasper Hale? You usually don't call here … That's normally Bella, or Carlisle. Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something is very wrong. My family was attacked by a huge pack of shape-shifters today, Billy." There was a profound silence. "I know it wasn't your pack. I've never seen these wolves before. But there were many of them, and they attacked."

"What happened?" the old man asked with his rough voice.

Jasper took a deep breath.

"They killed them all. Only Bella and I escaped." Jasper could hear the man struggle to take a breath.

"What are you saying?" he almost whispered.

"Bella and I happened to be out of the house; when we returned, it was already too late. I counted at least fifteen wolves, Billy. Fifteen. They never stood a chance."

"May the spirits have mercy …" the old man whispered on the other end.

"Do you have any idea of who they are? Where they come from?"

"No, I have no idea. I have never … A pack that size, it's not normal. I'll call Sam and tell him. They will go to the house and track them if they can, Jasper." Billy paused. "And I'll make some phone calls to some other tribes. There are other protectors out there, but not like this."

"Will you let me know what you find out?" Jasper asked.

"Yes, you can be sure about that. What are you going to do? Where are you?"

"Seattle, for the moment, but we won't stay here."

"Are you coming back to Forks?"

"No, we can't. It would raise too many questions. It's not as if Bella can move in with Charlie. And before we know who those wolves are, I'm not risking her going back there, if they come for us again. It's better that everyone thinks we all died."

"I understand. I'll tell the pack though. And you'll take care of her, won't you?"

"She's my sister, Billy, of course I will take care of her. And you will take care of Charlie, I hope?" Billy grunted a little.

"Of course, I will. Good luck to you, Jasper. And I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." Jasper hung up. He took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall. He didn't need the support, but it made him feel just an inch more stable.

His third call was to J. Jenks, to arrange a meeting. The lawyer was surprised at him calling but made room for them the day after in his schedule. When he was done, it was dusk outside and quiet. Bella didn't make a sound, still sitting on the floor by the bed, clutching the CD in her hands. She was completely still and staring straight into the wall opposite her, not really seeing anything. Jasper took another deep breath. He set the alarm on the cell to go off at eight in the morning the next day, and then he reached for the note from Alice. He could see she had written it very fast, her usually perfect scripture being a bit uneven.

_"__Jazz, my love,_

_Go to the Denalis; they will help. And keep Bella safe! She will need you, Jasper! And you have to teach her to fight, and she has to practice with her shield. She will need that too._

_We had a really good time, didn't we? I will always watch over you, my sweet love, but this pain is something you have to go through, not avoid. You will come out on the other side. I promise._

_With all my love,_

_Alice" _

Her scent came off the paper and hit him like a truck. He slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting with his head on his knees, sobbing without tears, letting the pain of a lost mate tear through him.

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Sam and Jake ran through the forest as fast as they could toward the Cullens' house. They were still a few miles out when they caught the scent of something burning. The rest of the pack, all six of them, were running a wide patrol all around La Push and Forks. Leah had already caught the strangers' scents and was following it southeast together with Paul. They were careful, though, since none of them knew who these wolves were.

Sam had had a really hard time believing what Billy had told him when he had called. He had gathered the pack as soon as he had been able, the shock resonating through all of their minds at the news. Ever since they had formed the unlikely alliance with the vampires to fight off the newborns a few years back, they had remained friends with the Cullens. Carlisle had been their doctor when they had needed one, and the friendship between Bella and Jake had only grown stronger since she was changed. They even hunted together from time to time. And to think another pack had come and just killed them … It was hard to grasp.

When Sam and Jake came closer to the house, they could see the fire. It was still blazing, far too hot to get close to. Mixed in with the smoke was the scent of burning vampire flesh; it made them both gag now that they knew whom it was that burned. The roof had caved in, all the glass shattered, two walls gone, and one of the huge cedars had also caught on fire. Sam spotted the garage off to the side and realized they had to do some things here, and they needed to alert the fire department. This could easily turn into a forest fire, and no one wanted that. The only reason it hadn't spread further in the hours that had passed was the fact that Forks and its surroundings wasn't a very dry place.

_"__I'll call them,"_ Seth offered; he was close to the north side of Forks and could reach a phone.

_"__Good,"_ Sam answered. _"Jake, come, we need to make sure there is nothing strange in the garage." _The two wolves circled around the clearing until they could reach the garage without getting too close to the fire. There were wolf tracks everywhere, and they were huge. So many scents mingled here, and the smell of the smoke was so harsh, they couldn't tell how many it had been. Jake phased and went inside. He opened the cupboards and rummaged on the shelves. After a few minutes, he emerged with a rather large bag in one hand.

"Nothing strange at all, except an enormous amount of cash. We can't leave it, the police will think they were drug dealers or something." Sam nodded, and Jake phased back. He carefully took the handles of the bag in his mouth, and they took off.

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When the alarm went off in the morning, Jasper straightened up from his crouch and looked around. Bella hadn't moved. With a huge effort, he pushed the pain and the grief to the back of his mind. They had things to do, and he needed Bella aware for this. He stood up and rubbed his hands over his face, pulling his fingers through his hair. As long as he kept on track, on mission, he could do this. And then Tanya would come, and he could cave in for real. He moved over to Bella and sat down beside her. He carefully pried one of her hands loose from the CD and held it. She didn't move. He put his hand under her chin and gently turned her face toward him.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" She didn't respond, but she blinked. She was still beautiful, but the beauty now was heartbreaking, so much pain and despair in her eyes. "Bella, we need to do some things today. We need to get new clothes and new papers. I need you here for that, okay? I promise, you will get your time to grieve, but not right now. Can you do that for me? Can you be here?" She blinked again then closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was there; he could see it.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked with a voice that was strained and low; he could barely make out what she said. He pulled her up from the floor.

"First, we need to get new clothes, and then we are going to meet a … friend of mine. He's going to get us what we need." She nodded.

"I'll be here, Jasper. Just don't …" Her voice trailed off.

He hugged her close for a brief minute then met her eyes again.

"I'll take care of you, little sister. I will not ask anything of you that you can't handle."

She nodded in response.

They left the motel and took a cab to one of the fancier boutiques in Seattle. Bella didn't listen to what Jasper told the clerks; it was something about lost luggage. She didn't see any colors, everything was gray, her chest was a big aching hole, and her stomach filled with ice. She moved when she was supposed to: she fidgeted, she blinked, and she changed into the clothes the clerk came with. They left and took another cab to some other place. She didn't realize until she was in the cab that she had new jeans, new shoes, and a new blouse under her new trench coat. She couldn't tell what color it was, and she didn't really care, but it was comfortable. They exited the cab and went into a rather posh reception area. They were immediately ushered through to an office. Bella registered that Jasper greeted the man behind the desk as if they knew each other, and then she shook the man's hand as well. His hand was very warm. He mumbled something; she didn't answer. Jasper took her coat and made her sit down on a couch.

Jenks glanced at the woman. She looked young, and very beautiful, with long chestnut hair and almost translucent pale skin. But her eyes … He had never seen eyes filled with such pain before. It almost took his breath away. Jasper cleared his throat, and Jenks immediately turned his full attention to his most frightening but also most valuable client.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Jasper?" He was ready with pen and paper.

"We need new passports, no need for it to be perfect, and the names don't matter at the moment. The only really important thing is that we can't use our old ones because we are both supposedly dead." At this comment, Jenks startled and looked up at him. The golden gaze that met him was steady and calm.

"Mr. Jasper, what has happened? Are you running?" Deep down, Jenks really didn't want to know what had a man like Jasper on the run, if that was the case. Jasper sighed.

"There has been a fire. The others … perished. We don't know who did it yet. Meanwhile, we are going to go away for a while. We need death certificates, and we need to rearrange some of the funds …" Jasper went on with the details while Jenks jotted it down.

When Jasper was done, Jenks took a deep breath before he spoke.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Jasper. I truly am. The Cullens have been … valued clients over the years. As you said over the phone, I have arranged for a photographer to come here; he will be here in an hour. Utmost discretion guaranteed, of course. I would imagine the passports would take no more than two days to get." Jasper raised an eyebrow, thinking that was unusually fast.

"You're in luck. I had another order that cancelled just a few days ago, the work already done, more or less. We just need to add the photos and signatures." Jenks glanced over at the young woman again.

"If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Jasper, is this Ms. Alice?" Jenks could see Jasper startle at the name.

"No, this is Bella Cullen, Edward's … widow. Alice … also perished in the fire." Jenks could see pain in Jasper's face now, could hear it in his voice.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Jasper." The room fell silent.

"Is there anything else I can get you while we wait? You are welcome to use the lounge, of course." He gestured to a set of sliding glass doors that led into an adjacent room with a TV, two couches, and a conference table. There was a computer on the table.

"Does that thing have internet?" Jasper asked.

"Of course," Jenks replied and huffed up out of his chair. He slid the doors aside while Jasper carefully guided Bella into the lounge and sat her on one of the couches. Jenks closed the doors behind them; he could still see them but not hear them.

Jasper sat down by the computer and opened a browser. First, he went to the Seattle Herald—nothing there mentioned the fire. Then he went to the Forks Daily. It was the headline there. The paper reported that all of the Cullens had died in the fire, including the daughter of Chief Swan who had recently married into the family. People from the hospital where Carlisle worked said some nice things, and Charlie's colleagues also expressed their sadness. The police were investigating since there had been some evidence of arson. There were no bodies found though, but they were still looking. The chief of the fire department explained they would probably not find any because the fire had been so hot. A memorial was to be held, but no date was set.

Jasper leaned his face in his palms, breathing slowly. He had never dreamed of a day like this. He lifted his head again and looked at Bella. She was still present, her eyes were moving. She was looking around, but she was still and dead silent. He turned back to the computer and logged in to their usual bank accounts, the ones that were used on a daily basis. He made some changes in the transfers to the different accounts and made sure he had enough on his cards to possibly buy a small estate. He didn't want to be hindered right now. All done, he grabbed the hairbrush he had bought for Bella and went over to her.

"Bella? You need to brush your hair for the photo. And you need to smile for the camera."

She looked up at him, shock on her face.

"Jasper, I can't," she whispered, her eyes filled with pain. He kneeled in front of her, his hands finding hers and holding them.

"You can, Bella. It's only a few seconds. It just has to look like a smile." She met his eyes and eventually nodded. She freed her hands, and he rose. She grabbed the brush and moved it to her hair and then froze. He could feel her panic grow and see her lips twisting into a grimace of sadness. He understood what was happening and took the brush from her frozen hand. The ordinary was too hard for her to cope with right now.

"Calm down, Bella. You don't have to."

She relaxed a little and lowered her arm, the panic subsiding. He moved around the couch, behind her, and started to brush her hair with gentle strokes. In a sudden flash, he remembered doing this for his sisters when he was no more than a boy. He noticed that Bella relaxed even more, her shoulders lowered, her breathing slowing. She had closed her eyes.

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Thank you for reading, the next chapter will be up shortly...


	2. Pain Unimaginable

AN: I'm so glad that you like it! Thanks, keep on reading. And you should thank Bree and Project Team Beta too. Reviews are very welcome, thank you to the ones who did.  
And I forgot something on the first chapter. I don't own Twilight. If I did... Ah well, you know, parties, awesome clothes, free time from work, more time to write stuff like this...

Happy reading!

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Chapter 2: Pain Unimaginable

The car was quiet, purring as the miles flew by beneath the wheels. Tanya and Kate sat in the front; Jasper and Bella were in the back. Bella lay down, her head in Jasper's lap, and she was gone again. She had shut down for real this time. Jasper absentmindedly stroked her hair, admitting to himself he wasn't feeling much better. He would see her safe before he caved in, though. They were all quiet, but he could feel the emotions from the sisters. They were grief-stricken and shocked—lost at what to do now. He felt lost himself. He had never met anyone who had lost a mate and lived through it. He didn't know what to expect, except for the pain. And the pain was there, gaining more and more of his mind—intruding on the logic and rationality that had kept him up this far. But they would soon be at the Denali family's house, and then he could let go. Tanya turned off from the highway and started down a much smaller and narrower road, all uphill. They headed deep into the forest where snow still lingered under the trees despite the fact that it was summer. The last part of the road was more of a path than a road; just tracks in the ground. Suddenly, the path opened up to a clearing. They were on a yard with houses on two sides in an angle and a breath-taking view of the valley below and snow covered mountain peaks. The others were all there to greet them when Tanya stopped the car in front of the larger house. Jasper got out of the car with Bella cradled in his arms; her eyes were open but unseeing. Carmen waved him inside and showed him up the stairs and into a light room with big windows overlooking the mountains. There was a double bed already made up.

"Put her down here, Jasper. We will look after her."

He carefully placed Bella in the bed, and Carmen pulled the covers over her. He put the CD on her nightstand before he left. Irina showed him to the room just next door; it looked almost the same, only the colors differed. He stopped in the doorway and gave her his cell.

"If this rings, answer it. I don't think I'll be able to. I gave this number to Billy Black, the Quileute chief. He might call. And to Jenks."

Irina nodded and handed the phone over to Tanya who just came up behind them. Tanya put a hand on Jasper's arm and looked up at him.

"You don't have to do this alone, my friend."

He bowed his head.

"I think I have to, Tanya, but thank you anyway." He headed into the room and closed the door behind him.

It took weeks before Jasper came out again. Garrett, Kate, Tanya, and Carmen were all gathered in the open spaced lower floor, sitting on the couches by the fireplace talking, when they heard the door upstairs open. They all fell silent. Jasper came down the stairs, his eyes black with dark circles under them. They had all heard him—his dry sobs and his cries of pain—and now they met his eyes with sympathy. None of them had gone through this—they couldn't imagine what it felt like, and they were all glad he had managed to keep the feelings to himself. Jasper sat down beside Garrett on the nearest couch and leaned his face in his hands, elbows on his knees.

"I'm sorry," he said in a raspy voice. Garrett put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing to be sorry for, Jasper. I can't even begin to understand …" Garrett looked at Kate with a pained look on his face.

"How are you feeling?" Kate wondered, the worry in her voice very apparent.

Jasper pulled his fingers through his hair and then sat up more straight, meeting all their gazes. "I have been better. But I have been worse as well. How is Bella?"

Carmen sighed. "She hasn't moved at all. She just lies there. We had to go out and drain a deer and feed her by a cup." The dark haired woman shook her head. "She is not well, pobre niña, not well at all."

Jasper looked really worried. "She doesn't even feed?"

Carmen shook her head again. "No. And her eyes were so dark when you came, I was afraid she would not survive unless we fed her."

"Thank you, Carmen. Thank you for caring for her."

"Of course we care," Tanya said. "You are both family, Jasper."

"So, did anyone call while I was … gone?" Jasper asked.

Tanya nodded. "Jenks called. He's solving everything it seems: the inheritance, the name changes for the properties, new cards and ID's …"

Jasper nodded. This was good since he really didn't feel like he was up for arranging all of that. Especially not since it seemed Bella still needed him.

"And Billy Black called," Tanya continued, more hesitant this time. "We know what happened, Jasper. If I tell you, do you promise not to wreck the house?"

Jasper nodded silently, apprehensively, waiting.

"Billy called a few days after you got here. He was a bit suspicious at first but then he remembered us from the wedding …" Her voice almost broke, and she cleared her throat. "He had called around to his friends in the other tribes that have protectors. It took a while, but eventually someone called him back. There is a tribe in northern Canada that has wolf protectors. Their pack has never been very big, but something happened. According to Billy, they had a member of the tribe that was gifted, and everything changed when he turned wolf." Her voice trailed off again, and Jasper waited. She met his gaze and continued.

"This person managed to kill the alpha and make a whole bunch of their tribe turn. And he led them away, tired of the fact that no one was doing anything about the 'evil that walks the earth.' That would be us. On his way south, he kidnapped other protectors from other tribes, and they followed him. Billy guessed that they were on their way to the Quileutes when they happened upon our family." Tanya went silent.

"Billy was really angry," Kate continued the tale. "The chief of that first tribe was so embarrassed about what had happened that he didn't tell anyone else. No warning to the other chiefs or packs. And the other tribes, who lost members of their packs, didn't know what was going on either; only that their brothers disappeared. If Billy had been warned—"

Jasper rose swiftly from the couch, his eyes burning with rage. He then ran out the door and into the woods.

Jasper looked around, almost feeling short of breath though it wasn't possible. In a wide circle around him, the trees were uprooted and over ended, some broken to splinters. Yeah, he had been angry, very angry, but he had managed not to take it out on Tanya's house or to project it onto any of them. He took a deep breath, tasting the fresh, clear air. He caught a scent and started tracking. He didn't really feel the thirst, but he knew he had to feed. Alice had promised that he would make it out on the other side of this nightmare, and he trusted her. The thought of her name made him wince, and he staggered. Images of her flashed through his mind: her smile, her hair, her scent, her laughter. He had to stop and support himself against a tree until the flashes stopped. The hole in his chest ached, and he absentmindedly rubbed over the spot with his hand. He took a few deep breaths and continued with his hunt. He downed the bear without effort, clean and precise, and drained it. After drinking he felt full, almost sick to his stomach. He knew he should hunt more, but he couldn't make himself do it. He turned back to his new home.

When he got there, he changed clothes, borrowing some of Garrett's. He had to get new ones for himself. Then he went in to Bella's room. The door was open, and he could hear Carmen moving around inside so he entered without knocking. Stopping right inside the doorway he took in the scene. Bella laid on her back in the bed, staring up into the ceiling, but not seeing. Her eyes were dark, and dark circles were under them. She looked so fragile. Someone, he guessed Carmen, had changed her clothes into sweats and a t-shirt instead of jeans and a blouse and obviously brushed her hair. Carmen smiled at him when he came in; she was just pulling the sheets and covers up over Bella.

"No change?" he asked. Carmen shook her head. He nodded and went over to the bed and gently sat down on the edge. There was no reaction. Carmen silently left the room and closed the door behind her to at least give him the illusion of privacy. Bella's face was devoid of all colors except for her black eyes and dark circles. Her lips were white, her cheeks even whiter. He remembered when her lips had been that soft pink, and her cheeks blushed. It seemed to have been eons ago even according to his standards. He carefully caressed her cheek with his fingers; she was ice cold to his touch. He had seen this before, vampires going in to shock and not feeding. They became cold after a while, with not enough blood in their system. She needed to feed, but she was in no state to do it herself. And there were no emotions at all. She was completely blank to him, and it worried him.

"Bella?" he said softly. Still nothing. He sighed and left her there, moving downstairs.

Everyone was here now; Eleazar and Irina were back from their hunting trip, and they were all gathered on the couches by the open fire. Eleazar rose and hugged him and patted him on the back, his golden eyes sad.

"How are you, Jasper?"

Jasper bowed his head; their concerns and worries were all he could feel in the room, and it made him uncomfortable.

"Better, but this is far from over." He raised his gaze again. "We need to help Bella, though. She needs to feed."

Irina rose from the couch at once. "I'll help you, Jasper. I want to help her. Come, I'll show you." She walked past him and into the open kitchen. She packed a small satchel with a bowl and a flask, and they left for the forest again.

The hunt was easy—they found some deer—the problem was the draining, and Jasper was glad for the help. He held the deer while Irina held the bowl and filled it. She then very carefully poured the red liquid into the bottle and closed the cap.

"There, now lets get it to her before it gets too cold."

They ran home; Carmen was already waiting in the kitchen with a metal cup. All three of them went upstairs and in to Bella's room.

"She was not very cooperative the last time," Carmen said, placing the cup on the nightstand. Jasper could see Bella's nostrils flare a little as the scent of the blood registered with her body. Carmen gently tried to coax Bella up in a sitting position, but she was not having it.

"Let me," Jasper said. He removed the covers and sat on the bed. Gently, he lifted Bella up into his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. She was very limp, making no resistance. He took the cup and moved it to her lips. She turned her head. She still wasn't there, but something in her mind was reacting, not wanting the blood. He frowned; her body must be craving it by now.

"Bella darlin'," he whispered in her ear. "You have to feed. Please, just drink this, and then you can rest again." With his other hand, he gently moved her cheek and once again put the cup to her lips. She stayed still. Sighing with relief, he poured the blood carefully into her mouth, and she swallowed. He didn't stress it but let her take her time. When she had finally downed the whole cupful, he gently placed her back in the bed.

"Well," Irina said with a smile. "She sure likes you, Jasper. We really had to struggle that first time."

"She does know me better than any of you. That might help." He pulled the covers over her again and sat down on the edge of the bed. Irina silently left the room with the empty cup; Carmen had already gone without him noticing it. He took one of Bella's hands in both of his; her delicate fingers still so cold, her wedding band evidence to her loss. It was as if she had lost weight, even though it was impossible. But he knew from his own experience that this kind of grief was something entirely other and it might yet manifest itself in strange ways.

The weeks came and went. Jasper had to run out into the forest on a daily basis when the rage threatened to consume him so that he didn't damage the house. The rage was a nice change from how he felt otherwise, when the world just seemed dull and gray and without purpose. When he was angry, the world became tinted in red. It was some color at least. He hunted and fed Bella every week and he could tell that she was getting stronger again; the dark circles were gone and some color back on her face. And she was warmer now, almost back to normal temperature. She was still not there in her mind though. He took it as a habit to sit by her side; sometimes reading, sometimes just looking at her. The others would come and keep him company now and again; they were also worried about Bella, and for himself. He knew he had to do something about her; she couldn't lie here forever. He was still hesitant to bring her mind out of its shell, there would be such pain, but she could survive it, move through it. The pain in his chest was more of a dull ache now. It never ceased though—always tugging at his mind, always reminding him of what he had lost—but he could cope. He had put his whole life behind him once, and he could do it again. He just wasn't sure that he wanted to.

Snow had started to fall when Jasper gathered the others for a council. He knew what he needed to do, but he wanted the others' opinion before he acted. If he succeeded, this would put Bella through the same pain that he himself had just suffered. But he was stronger now; he was strong enough to care for her, to help her through it.

"I want to ask your opinion," he said when they were all gathered. "It's about Bella. We can't leave her like this anymore."

Tanya sighed.

"No, you are right, of course. But how … She hasn't responded to anything yet."

"I think I know what will wake her up. It will be painful, but there really is no other way. If she's not to stay confined in your guestroom for the rest of eternity I see no other option."

"Why don't you just give it a little more time," Eleazar pleaded. "She might wake up on her own."

Jasper looked down at the floor. "I don't think she will, Eleazar. This loss was too much. We need to pull her out of it." He felt terribly guilty saying this, knowing that the last time she had lost Edward it had been his fault.

"I agree with Jasper," Carmen said, shooting a dark look at Eleazar. "She needs to come back to heal." She then turned to look Jasper in the eyes. "Do what you have to, we will help if you want us to."

Kate, Irina and Tanya nodded in agreement, Garrett looked thoughtful but not opposed, Eleazar looked sad.

"I will deal with this. I will call on you if I need the help." Jasper turned and walked up the stairs, knocking on Bella's door. Of course, there was no answer but it was the polite thing to do. He entered and closed the door behind him. He turned on some more lights. Snow was already sticking to the lower part of the large windows looking like fluffy cotton. Walking over to the bed, he looked down at her. She looked so frail, so breakable, her skin almost see-through. Her eyes still unseeing were fixed at the ceiling but at least they were a warm gold now and not black. He caressed her cheek hoping that she would eventually forgive him. He took the CD from her nightstand and moved over to the stereo. Careful not to lose the note inside, he put the CD in. He hesitated before he pressed play; the scent of his brother lingered from the note. It hurt him more than he thought it would. He sighed deeply and pressed the button.

There was a short silence, and then Edward's beautiful music soared through the room. It started with the song he had made for her. Jasper heard almost immediately how Bella started to stir. He turned to face her. Her eyes were closed, her head turning from side to side, her hands gripping the covers. He waited. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she flew up on top of the bed in a defensive crouch. Her eyes found him, and she shrieked as she launched herself at him. He was prepared, though, and he easily caught her and wrapped his arms around her; she was still weak, far from her full strength. She thrashed in his arms, yelling for him to stop the music, to let her go. He held on. She growled at him and snapped at him with her teeth, but he held on. Eventually, all the screaming and thrashing became stillness and sobs, and she went limp. He sat down on the bed with her in his lap, the music still playing.

"There, there, my sweet Bella," he murmured against her hair, stroking her back and holding her chin against his chest.

The episodes followed each other; one moment she was a raging vampire, the next a terrified and sad young woman who had lost it all. She cried, and she growled, but he never let go. He had been set this task—caring for her, saving her—and he was going to do just that. Finally one early morning she fell silent. Jasper felt how she stretched instead of just sitting there in his arms on the bed, and then she raised her eyes and met his. She sat up more straight, not needing his support anymore.

"Why are you putting me through this, Jasper?" she whispered with a hoarse voice.

"Because there is no other way out of this than through, Bella."

She stared at him, anger in her eyes. He prepared for another onslaught, but she only slid away from him on the bed.

"Why didn't you just kill me? You know what he meant to me. My life is over without him." She said it so calm, it gave him shivers.

"There is no point in dying, Bella. And Alice asked me to save you, so that's what I'll do."

She glared at him and growled deep in her chest.

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"No, you don't. Not until you are sane enough to make your own decisions." He knew she hated when people decided for her, and he planned to use it against her, to force her to come back to the world of the living.

Her face showed shock.

"What? Are you mad?"

Faster than lightning, he was sitting directly opposite her, her face in his hands, staring into her dark eyes.

"No, you are. You are insane with grief. Until you can prove to me that you are strong enough to cope by yourself, I won't let you leave here. And as long as you are here, my word goes."

She flew out of the bed and stood with her back toward the windows, glaring at him.

"Do you want to hunt?" he asked, knowing that she needed to feed; it had been over two weeks since he had woken her. She still glared at him, but her hand flew to her throat, involuntary. He smiled at her, a sad smile, but still a smile.

"As I thought. Let's go then." He opened one of the windows and jumped out. She growled but followed, landing gracefully on her bare feet beside him in the snow. She looked around, suddenly curious rather than angry.

"Snow? How long was I …" She looked at him, bewildered.

"Too long. Come." He tugged on her hand and they sprinted away over the snow and into the woods.

They had hunted well, and Bella had eaten much more than she had in the last couple of months. When they returned, they jumped back in through the window, Bella not yet feeling ready to meet the others. And she wanted to change clothes. She didn't really care that she wore sweats and a t-shirt, but she had managed to stain them quite a bit. Jasper left her alone while she took a shower and opened her wardrobes. They were huge wooden pieces of furniture and they smelled of resin. She found clothes for her, mostly jeans and tops, and some shoes and underwear. All being the right size. She frowned.

"Jasper?" she asked, knowing he would hear her.

"Yes?" He was just outside her door.

"How come all of these clothes are my size? And who bought them?" She could hear him laugh a little.

"You don't live with Alice without picking up a few things. And of course it helps having an infallible memory." Bella shook her head, feeling a stab of pain when he mentioned Alice. Sure, the clothes were nice and just what she liked, simple and comfortable, but he had bought her underwear. It made her want to blush a little—it was embarrassing. At least it wasn't lingerie but just normal bras and panties in cotton; half of them black, half white. She got dressed and met him outside the door.

"Feeling better?" he wondered. She nodded. He gestured for her to go downstairs, and so she did.

Halfway down, she stopped and grabbed the railing. The others were all looking up at her, and their faces invoked memories of her wedding. The pain stabbed at her, and she almost fell. Jaspers hand steadied her, and she met his eyes. He was worried, but he didn't say anything. She shook her head and continued downstairs. Tanya met her and hugged her close.

"Oh, Bella, we are so glad to see you up and around," she said in a low voice. Then Tanya let her go, and Kate hugged her instead. They dragged her over to the couches and sat her down between them. The others followed, Irina and Jasper standing by the fire, the rest sitting down. They all looked at her.

"I just want you to know that this is your home now," Tanya said to her. "You can come and go as you like"—Bella glared at Jasper, who simply arched an eyebrow at her—"and there are no secrets. We only have one rule: if a door is closed, you knock. Okay?" Bella nodded. "This must be quite awkward for you, sitting here, but we will leave you alone. We all have stuff to do. Just say if you need anything."

Bella averted her eyes. Everyone was still looking at her, and it made her feel uncomfortable. She felt Tanya and Kate getting up from the couch and heard them move away. Some of the others followed, some stayed. She looked up again, eyes travelling through the big room. Irina and Jasper stood by the fireplace talking about hunting options now that the bears were hibernating. Garrett and Kate were on the opposite couch looking in a really huge book; from the cover it had something to do with architecture. Tanya was sitting by the computer that was on the dining table, and Carmen and Eleazar were heading over the small yard toward the other house.

Bella liked this room. It was open all the way up to the beams in the ceiling, and the ceiling was white as snow. The walls were made of logs except the wall that was opposite her now, that was all large windows giving a staggering view of the small yard, the clearing, and the valley below. The floor was made of wide wooden planks that were white stained. The door was in the middle of the glass wall; coming in you had the kitchen and the dining table to the left and the big seating area by the fireplace to your right. At the back wall were cupboards covering the entire wall under the landing. The landing itself stretched over the whole length of the room, and there were many more doors than hers and Jasper's rooms. The stairs came down just opposite the door, dividing the big room in two halves.

On both sides of the fireplace were bookshelves that reached high up toward the ceiling. Bella's eyes wandered over the books, having no trouble reading the titles from the couch. She went up and strode over to a section that seemed to house some really old volumes. Carefully tracing the backs with her fingers she realized that they were mostly in Russian, or at least some language that used the Cyrillic alphabet. The bindings were of leather and parchment in bright colors and letters in gold. Irina came up to her.

"We brought those with us here, from our home in Russia," she said in a soft voice.

"They are beautiful," Bella answered.

Irina pulled out a volume; it had a very Russian babushka on the front.

"Do you know Russian?"

Bella shook her head. She had perfected her Spanish some but no other language.

"Do you want me to teach you?"

Bella looked up at Irina's smiling golden eyes.

"That would be nice, thank you," she said in a low voice.

Irina led her to the couch and sat them both down before she opened the book. Jasper looked silently at them feeling a slight twinge of curiosity coming from Bella. It pleased him immensely since all other feelings he got from her were sorrow and hopelessness.


	3. Involvement

Welcome to chapter three! As usual a huge thanks go to Project Team Beta and Bree who has made it all readable.  
Unfortunately it will go a little slower with the updating now. The fourth chapter is with the betas and I will hopefully get it back soon, but then it will be a couple of weeks before chapter five is beta:d and ready to go. Hang in there!

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Chapter 3 - Involvement

Bella landed on her back in the snow with a thud that knocked the air from her chest. She jumped up and turned, but it was too late, Jasper was gone. She twirled around again, just in time to see him charge. She dodged left, and managed to avoid his attack. He stopped and laughed while she straightened up from her crouch.

"You are getting better at this, darlin'," he said with his southern accent and smiled. She gave him a small smile in return. Months had gone by, and though she was in no way whole, the ache had subsided, and her episodes were shorter and further apart. She really hated herself when she broke down like that, forcing Jasper to take care of her like she was a child. But he never complained, only told her that she was his sister, and this was what brothers did. The lessons in Russian had helped keeping her minds off things, and she now spoke it fluently. Irina was very proud of her, and Bella had slowly started to discover the treasure of original Russian literature. This had also helped—Jasper teaching her how to fight properly. She had learned a lot from him, but he was just too fast and strong for her still; she had yet to get him down even once. She also practiced her shield with Kate, and she was really starting to get a feel for how it worked. She could project it and bend it almost as she pleased now. It was one of Jasper's demands for her to get her free will back, that she could defend herself if need be.

In the beginning, just after he woke her up, she had actually tried to run away once, to get to Italy and the Volturi. Of course, he had caught her before she even got out the window. She had cursed and tried to bite him, desperately wanting an end to the pain and the grief, but now she wasn't so sure she wanted to end her existence. She could recall the discussions she and Edward had had, before he had left that other time. _"So, if you die, you want me to go off myself?" "Of course not!"_ And she had started to feel pretty sure of the fact that even though it was tempting to meet Edward on the other side, there were still things to live for, experiences to be had.

Suddenly, Jasper's cell rang, and he looked at the display. He tossed the phone to her.

"It's for you, it's Jake". She smiled and answered.

"Hey Jake."

"Bella, hi! It's so good to hear your voice." She could hear the smile on his face. He called every week, or she called him, and this had also helped with the pain. This way she could keep tabs on Charlie, and a little bit on Reneé, and of course the rest of her friends in La Push and Forks. She had not been very happy when Jasper had told her about the stranger wolves though, and the cowardly chief. But where Jasper's rage burned hot and red, hers was ice cold. When the strange pack had returned to La push a few months ago, another sorrow had been in store for them. The strangers had forced Paul with them, but he had somehow refused to go willingly. They had killed him and left his body by the Quileute border. Bella had never been a fan of Paul's, and he had never warmed up to her like the others had, but he had been a friend. And to add hurt to injury, he had just imprinted, leaving his girlfriend completely devastated. Billy had surmised that this might be the key—the imprinting. The other protector packs—disregarding the rogues—were not as many as the Quileutes, and it was extremely rare that they imprinted. In the Quileute pack, it was only three who hadn't imprinted: Jake, Seth and Leah. It might have been the pull of the imprint that had made it possible for Paul to refuse whatever gift it was the rogue Alpha had. After Paul's death, Bella and Jasper had agreed to set up a fund for the Quileute reservation to be used for the school, new houses, and better roads. In addition, they had been very adamant that the pack should keep the money from the garage, and already the school had a new classroom and some very much-needed new books.

Bella and Jasper headed back to the house, Bella chatting with Jake on the phone. When they were just a few minutes from the house, Jasper stopped and cocked his head as he took a deep breath, tasting the air. Bella stopped and also took a breath. Someone was here, someone not familiar.

"Jake? I have to call you back …" She hung up and put the phone in her pocket. They looked at each other before they started forward again, carefully and silently. A little bit closer to the house Jasper relaxed some. He could pick up the emotions, and the strangers were not hostile. As he relaxed, so did Bella, following his lead. Through the glass they could see two strangers inside; both clad in grey coats, both male, one of them really huge. They looked vaguely familiar to Bella, but she didn't know why. Bella and Jasper quickly walked inside. The emotions Jasper sensed were a little hint of worry, but mostly curiosity, from all the vampires. He and Bella moved to stand by Kate and Irina, while Tanya obviously was the one speaking for them. Seeing the faces of the strangers, Bella recognized them.

"Bella, Jasper, this is Demetri and Felix. They are with the Volturi."

"I know," Bella said and swallowed. Felix winked at her, and Demetri smiled.

"Ah, yes. Bella, I must say, immortality becomes you my dear," Demetri said with a soft voice, inclining his head in her direction.

"They came here asking about Carlisle and the others. I didn't know what I should tell them, so we waited for you." Tanya didn't let her eyes off the two Volturis and neither did any of the others.

"Why do you want to find Carlisle?" Jasper asked, quietly moving to be in front of Bella.

"Well," Demetri started, "It's actually Aro who wants to talk to him. We have had a little … dilemma, and Aro wanted to ask Carlisle's opinion." Jasper raised an eyebrow. He knew Carlisle and Aro had been close long ago, and it happened that the Volturi leader called upon Carlisle on the odd occasion, but a long time had passed since he had.

"We tried to call, but there was no active number. Aro got worried, so he sent Felix and I to look in to it. We found your house, or what was left of it. What happened? And where are the others?" Silence filled the room. Jasper met Demetri's red eyes.

"They are dead," he said calmly. Demetri took a step back in shock; he had not been prepared for this, not at all. It was clear for everyone to see. Even Felix looked a bit shaken.

"How on earth did that happen? There were eight of you."

Tanya sighed and made a gesture that they all could relax a bit, it was apparent that Demetri wasn't lying about why they were here at least. Irina and Kate sat down on one of the couches, Garrett and Eleazar moved over to the stairs, Carmen hovered just behind Bella. Jasper turned to face Bella.

"You can leave if you want. This will not be pleasant for you."

She shook her head. "It wont be pleasant for you either, Jasper. I'll stay."

He just nodded, then turned to Demetri and Felix again.

"There is a big pack of rogue protectors roaming around. We had no idea about it until they came to our house and attacked our family. Only Bella and I escaped. The wolves killed the rest and burned the house."

Demetri blinked at Jasper's short and quiet explanation.

"But how is that possible? You had Alice, didn't she see something? And Edward?" Both Jasper and Bella winced at the mentioning of their lost mates.

"Alice could never see the wolves. As for Edward, if he had been able to pick up on their thoughts, he would have warned us. But we guess they have some kind of shielding. Their Alpha has some gifts."

"And how is it that you got away when no one else did?"

"Bella and I were out hunting when it happened. We returned too late." Bella closed her eyes, willing the images in her mind to go away. She felt Jasper's arm wrap around her shoulders, both a comfort and protection. When she looked up again, she first met Jasper's golden eyes, filled with the same grief, then she looked at Demetri, who looked almost … concerned. Worried.

Abruptly, Demetri turned and faced the windows, pulling a phone from somewhere.

"Ciao?" An unknown female voice answered his call—a human. Bella wondered if it was the same receptionist she had met that one time.

"Gianna? Mi prendi Aro, grazie." They could all hear the conversation, of course, but it seemed that Demetri didn't mind. Another voice spoke.

"Demetri?" Bella recognized that voice; it was Aro. Small shivers ran down her back and Jasper tightened his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Demetri cleared his throat, unnecessarily.

"Aro, we have a serious issue. The matter you wanted to talk to Carlisle about … It seems almost all the Cullens fell victims to it." There was a gasp on the other end and then silence.

"Explain," the voice demanded.

"There is a pack of rogue protectors running around. The rumors are true. They got the drop on the Cullens, only Jasper and Bella made it out alive. I will try to find out more." There was silence again.

"Alice? Edward? Gone?" A quiet growl escaped Bella. She didn't like Aro's tone when he talked about his two favorites in the Cullen family.

Demetri glanced at her and smiled.

"Yes, Aro, I'm so sorry. It's a true tragedy." A minute dragged by before Aro answered.

"Let me talk to them." Demetri turned around, held up the phone and motioned for Bella or Jasper to say something.

"Hello Aro," Bella said hesitantly.

"Ah, Bella, mio caro, I'm so sorry for this. It is good to hear your voice though. Is Jasper there with you?"

Bella looked up at Jaspers face.

"Yes he is."

"Good, at least you have each other … I know what it is like to lose a mate, Bella. Trust me when I say I truly sympathize."

"What do you know about the wolves?" Bella asked, trying not to focus on the subject of lost mates.

"Not enough, apparently." Aro's voice came back hard and not at all as pleasant as it had been before. "We heard rumors about this pack some months ago, but we couldn't find them. I was going to call Carlisle to see if he could find something out from that tribe you have there, the Quileute wasn't it?"

"Yes. But you are a bit late, Aro. It happened last summer. You didn't hear about it until now?" Bella's voice was cold now. There was silence again.

"This problem didn't come to our attention until three months ago, Bella. If we had known, we would have contacted you." Bella snorted. Aro sighed on the other end. "I wish there was some way I could gain your trust, Bella, I really do. In situations like these, we need to stick together, all of us."

Bella opened her mouth to answer when Jasper spoke, very calm.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Oh, Jasper, good to hear your voice, my old friend." Jasper made a frown, and Bella smiled at him. "We are going to find them and hunt them down," Aro continued. "They have killed far too many of our kind. They have wrecked total havoc in the south, and they killed at least five nomads in the north. This will not stand." Something in Aro's voice made Bella glad she was not on his bad side right now.

"I hope you will be able to assist Demetri to some extent. In the meantime, I gather that you are living with the Denali coven?"

Jasper and Bella looked at each other with surprise. What was it to him?

"Yes?" Bella answered.

"Well, if you want to, you can always come here. The gates of Volterra will be open for you." Bella couldn't stop her growl, and she could feel Jasper tense beside her. Aro sighed.

"Just know that you have the option, the two of you. You would both be welcomed in to the guard with open arms."

"No thank you," Jasper said, maybe a little too fast.

Aro chuckled.

"Very well. Now, let me speak with Demetri again." Demetri put the phone to his ear again.

"Get what information you can, Demetri, then see if you can track these mutts down. Keep us updated regularly, and don't do anything foolish." Aro hung up, and Demetri looked at them.

"So, what can you tell me?"

It was Jasper who told Demetri what they knew of the wolves. Bella moved to the couches, and Carmen followed, taking her hand.

"When they attacked us, there were fifteen of them, give or take a few. They came back to La Push a few months ago, and by then there were twenty. They recruit by kidnapping other protectors, and the Alpha has some sort of gift that makes their victims follow without question, shielding their thoughts from their old pack. Except the boy they tried to steal from La Push, he wouldn't go so they killed him."

"Where do they come from?"

"Northern Canada somewhere. I don't know exactly. This rogue Alpha killed the old Alpha and managed to make several of his tribe change. Then they headed south. They are hunting for vampires, and they don't ask questions."

Demetri nodded slowly, obviously pondering the information.

"I take it that the other tribes are not happy about this? Getting their kin kidnapped?"

"Would you be if anyone stole someone of your family?" Jasper answered.

"No, of course not. I wonder, do you think this Billy Black would talk to me about this? You know, a common enemy?"

Jasper smirked. "I doubt it. Yes, we have a common enemy, but your diet …"

Demetri raised his hands in surrender. "I know, I know. Would you please ask him? If he says no, it's no, and we are not going to invade his reservation. I can speak to him on the phone. Where was this pack headed, by the way, when they killed that boy?"

"They tracked them south, but they didn't dare to follow them too far." Jasper made a small gesture to Bella and she threw the phone to him, and he dialled. Signals were going through, and then someone answered.

"Jake here!" Bella smiled a little at her friend's enthusiasm. He was always so happy.

"Jake, this is Jasper. Do you have Billy or Sam there?"

"Sure. You sound serious, and Bella just hung up before. Are you okay?"

Jasper sighed a little. "The Volturi are here. They are going after the rogue pack."

"What? The fucking bastards that almost killed Edward?"

Jasper couldn't hide his smile at the young man's outburst. "They are not here to kill anyone, Jake. Can you get me Billy or Sam?"

"Sure, hang on," Jake grumped, and Jasper could hear him call to Sam to come to the phone. Jasper glanced at Demetri, his face showing disdain toward Jake's outburst.

"Sam here," the rough, dark voice said on the other end. They could all hear voices and commotion in the background.

"Sam, we have a situation."

"So I heard. What do they want?"

"Information. They are going after the rogue pack, and figured that you might help them tracking them." Jasper could hear the other voices in the background at the Black's place, obviously the pack was there and they didn't sound happy.

"Even if we did consider _helping_ them"—Jasper could almost hear Sam's grimace at the word—"how would that happen?"

Jasper could hear the scorn in Sam's voice. He didn't blame him.

"They want to be able to talk to other tribes that have lost brothers."

Sam snorted. "Right, and to get to know exactly where they all are, so they can hunt where there are no protectors. You can tell those leeches that—" Jasper interrupted him.

"Calm down, Sam. I'll give you a number, okay? And then you can call the council, and you can talk about it. That pack needs to be dealt with. Maybe you can compromise." Demetri held his phone up so Jasper could read the number while Sam grumped but agreed.

"Thank you, Sam," Jasper said.

"Don't thank me yet, Jasper. And tell them not to get their hopes up."

Jasper glanced at Demetri. "Oh, trust me, they have very little hope."

"Good." Sam hung up.

Jasper shrugged at Demetri. "It's the best I can do."

Demetri smiled. "It was quite enough, Jasper. Thank you. It seems that it is time for us to leave. We have some hunting to do." He and Felix moved to the door and stepped outside. Just before he was about to close the door Demetri turned to Jasper.

"I don't suppose you would like to come and hunt with us? I know your history, you would certainly be an asset."

Jasper met Bella's eyes and turned back to Demetri.

"No." Demetri inclined his head, closed the door, and the two vampires were gone.

Bella had gone up to her room after the Volturis had left, trying to read a bit in one of her newfound Russian books. She couldn't focus, though, her mind drifting to the day it all had happened, and then to memories of before. And the guilt she felt popped up its ugly head. Trying to hide it, she started to pace her room, stopping from time to time to look out the big windows. She had a breath-taking view of the mountain peaks from here. She tried to lose herself in the beauty—the glistening snow, the dark trees, and an eagle soaring in the sky high above—but it didn't help. There was a quiet knock on her door. She knew who it was.

"Come in Jasper." He closed the door behind him and came up to her by the windows.

"I felt your sadness. Are you alright?" As always his soft voice made her calm down a bit.

"No, not really." She took a deep breath, inhaled his scent of sun and honey and leather, and looked up at him. "All this, it made the memories come back, you know? Just flashing all over the place. I can't push them away …" Her voice trailed off as she averted her eyes. Jasper sent her a wave of calm. He had been very hesitant to use his gift on her in the beginning, but now he knew where the line was. She took another breath, and he could sense she felt better.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He suddenly felt guilt emanating from her; he had no clue as to why though.

"There is something else you're not telling me."

She sighed and sat down on the low bench that was below the windows. She folded her hands in her lap, and refused to look at him. He sat down beside her and waited.

"I feel guilty for all this mess I have put you through, Jasper. I know you want to kill those wolves, and so do I, but I'm not good enough yet. You are. You should have gone with them." Jasper sat silent for a little while, looking at the opposite wall.

"No, I shouldn't. Yes, of course I want to kill the wolves, but all that hate, revenge, rage … It was a part of my old life. I'm not that person any more. I don't want to be that person again. And even though it sometimes almost overpowers me, the need for revenge is not my priority. You are." He turned his head and looked at her, she met his eyes.

"I'm just hindering you, Jasper. You could go anywhere you want, you could go with Peter and Charlotte, or travel or—" He smiled and shook his head.

"Not until I'm sure that you are yourself again, Bella. And you are not hindering me in any way. I enjoy your company, and I would never abandon you like that."

"I can't see how I could be that much fun to be around," she said with a grimace.

Jasper chuckled and she smiled at him; it was easy to feel better when Jasper was feeling better.

"I'd say that you are cured form your insanity," Jasper said and mussed her hair.

"I'm not going anywhere," she answered and tried to smooth her hair again, giving him a glare. He smiled back.

"I know."

* * *

Thank you for reading.


	4. Unexpected challenges

AN: So, chapter 4. Huge thanks to Bree and Cat from Project Team Beta who had the patience to point out all my mistakes, without them this would be a mess. These two last chapters has been on the short side, but the next one will be longer. I have just sent it to the betas, so it might be bit longer than usual before I can update. Have patience :).

Oh, and I don't own Twilight. I just play in the sandbox.  
Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4 – Unexpected challenges

When spring finally came, the Denali's started on their new project: a third house. Carmen and Eleazar more or less lived alone in the second house, but now that Kate and Garrett were mated, they also wanted a place of their own. It was to be in the same style as the other houses but not as big as the main house. They built it all themselves since it was impossible to get any kind of machinery up here. Of course, it helped that they were all abnormally strong and the three sisters had done this before. Bella dove head on into the build, finding it a great distraction from her memories. Both she and Jasper were feeling a lot better now. Bella even laughed sometimes, and her episodes were gone. Jasper reveled in the new feelings emanating from her; the sadness and grief were mostly gone, replaced by acceptance and sometimes even with a little joy.

The house hardly took two weeks to erect, and it was beautiful when it was done. Bella was glad for Kate and Garrett, but she started to feel restless again. She needed something else to sink her teeth into. She started to study French on the internet, but it wasn't enough.

Sitting by the computer at the dining room table one day, Jasper sat down beside her.

"You seem bored," he noted. She scowled at him; once again, he had smashed her into the ground that morning. It annoyed her that he was so good at fighting that she still couldn't beat him.

"French really isn't that hard. I'm considering trying Arabic next."

He smiled. "I have a suggestion. How about college?"

She stared at him. "What? College? But why?"

Jasper continued to smile. "It will give you a distraction, and you could study something for real, not just by the computer. And it would be a change of scenery."

She leaned back in her chair, pondering what he had said.

"Let's say I agree, for arguments sake, but what about the applications? And where should we go? Not Dartmouth!"

"No, not there. Applications are simple, we make our own grades, and I'm sure you can write an essay or two in a heartbeat. The tuition isn't a problem, and we will buy someplace to live, so we don't have to live on campus. I'm not sure I would be up for that …" He frowned a little, and it was Bella's turn to smile; no, she could not imagine Jasper living on campus among all those humans.

"Do you think I could make it without killing anyone?"

"Of course you can, Bella. You have more self control than most. And you managed Charlie well enough."

She nodded slowly. "And what would you study?" She asked him, an eyebrow arched.

"Not sure, just not history and the civil war. I have had enough of faulty facts on _that_ subject. Maybe something more along the lines of psychology. I haven't been down that road yet."

"I think I would like to study ethnology, to get to know more about Native American lore. You know, maybe to get some grasp on those rogue wolves. Or some other cultural history. Living so close to La Push piqued my interest." She smiled and started to type on the computer.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking up courses to see where they might offer those subjects." She typed again, frowned a little, then started typing again.

"Hm, seems like most of the Ivy League has them, and there are lots of other colleges and universities."

"Cornell?"

She looked at her screen and then nodded.

"Yes, and a lot of other stuff as well, if we want to take some other courses as well."

He rose and stood behind her, reading on the screen.

"Cornell is nice, and we already have a house there from way back. When are the applications due?" He could see that Bella squirmed in her seat.

"What is it, Bella?"

She made a grimace.

"It's just so … _expensive_. And we don't need that, do we? Not really?"

Jasper chuckled and sat down again so he could look her in the eyes.

"Bella. When are you ever going to learn that we are rich? There are some really nice things about being a vampire. Being able to go to an Ivy League college and not sweat it is one of them."

She nodded but still looked uncomfortable.

"Bella, did you see the number of zeroes on your last bank statement?"

She squirmed again and made a face.

"You have to accept the fact that you have a fortune, Bella. I mean, I'm rich, but you? I don't even come close. And the money is yours to spend as you like. Please, spend some?"

She had to laugh at that. He had shown her all she needed to know about the Cullen's affairs so she could manage it herself, but she had been almost afraid to log in to her accounts. There was so much money. She had inherited Edward, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme since she was their only relative still alive, and she had shared inheritance from Alice and Rosalie with Jasper. Of course it was all up to themselves how the inheritance should be distributed, their family-ties being as genuine as their birth and death certificates, but Jenks had managed it all as per Jasper's instructions. The amounts had been staggering and a bit frightening to Bella. Jasper had his own fortune as Jasper Whitlock, but it wasn't even half of what she had. Maybe she _should_ spend some of it.

"All right, I'll spend some." She frowned a little, but he could see a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"Good. So, when are the applications due?"

"We have time. Still ten days to go." They looked at each other and smiled. College it was.

The acceptance letters came on the same day for Jasper and Bella both, and they immediately started to plan for their move. They needed new and more permanent passports, driver's licenses and new credit cards. There were also some other economic issues to attend to, so Bella and Jasper went to see Jenks again. This time, the visit was short, just a pickup and a few instructions. Their new identities were complete; they had kept their names, though—Bella Cullen and Jasper Whitlock. They had planned on moving down to Ithaca a month before the start of the semester, making sure the house was up to standards and getting everything in place. They stayed in Seattle for a few hours after the pickup, and Bella did some shopping. She had a feeling that just jeans and a top weren't really cutting it at an Ivy League college. Not that she wanted to overdo it, but she really wanted the option to pull out some nice clothes when necessary. To her surprise, Jasper had nothing against helping her. She had been worried it would remind him too much of Alice. But he didn't seem bothered. He merely commented on her choices. She came out of the store with elegant but simple clothes she would be able to wear without screaming money, and she actually liked them. The colors where quite muted, much of it grey, black, and white, but she really wasn't in the mood for brighter colors yet. Somewhere deep down she could still hear her own consciousness telling her that this was a waste of money, but for once she didn't care.

They got in to the car, the trunk full of designer bags.

"So, are you a happy shopper?" Jasper asked with a smile.

"Yes, I think I am, actually. Didn't you get anything for yourself?"

He laughed and started the car.

"Nah, I'll get it online. It's easier." Just then, his phone rang, and he let the motor idle while he answered. Bella could hear that it was Peter, and she hoped he and Charlotte would come visit; they were fun people to be around.

"Hello Major, all good?"

"All good, Peter, but you really have to stop calling me that. Are you around here somewhere?"

"Nah, we're down in Seattle, but we thought that we might come your way."

Jasper laughed.

"But I am in Seattle, moron. We are just heading back, and we have a car. We can pick you up."

"Are you kiddin' me? Awesome! Eh, just one thing. We have someone with us. Her name is Esmeralda."

"Oh? And who might she be?" Jasper was a bit cautious now. He glanced at Bella, and she smiled at him.

"Well, she's actually the reason we're comin' to see you, Major. She comes from the south, escapin' some wolf-shit goin' on there. But she's really having a hard time feeding on humans, you know, consciousness and all that, so Char and I thought that maybe y'all up there in Alaska could help her?" Bella made a thumbs up, looking really excited.

"Sure thing, brother. Where are you?" Jasper asked while smiling at Bella. Peter gave the directions and Jasper and Bella drove off to meet them.

The trip up to Alaska and Denali was fun, full of talk and chatter between the four friends. Esmeralda was rather silent, only making a few remarks, but it wasn't because she was shy. She just weighed her words very carefully before she spoke. She was a tall woman, young—in her early twenties when changed—with warm, dark red hair and red eyes. Even though her skin was pale, you could still see some freckles on her cheeks. She listened and smiled as the others talked about what had happened since last time they had been together, exchanging hunting stories and talking about the fact that Jasper and Bella were off to college.

"Shit, I'd like to go to college," Peter suddenly said.

His blonde and feisty mate laughed at him.

"You wouldn't last five minutes, and not only because you wouldn't be able to resist all that blood. Your wooden head would not be able to grasp all that fancy stuff."

Peter looked a little sad, so Bella turned in her seat and looked at him.

"I think you could make it if you changed your diet and practised your self-control for a century or so …" Then both Peter and Jasper laughed.

"Well, maybe I should start with high school, then. What do you say, Major?"

Jasper chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe so. But seriously, you can take courses on the web, you know. If you really want to study."

Peter frowned as he thought about it.

"Hm, that's an idea … I'll have to look into that. What do you say, Char, wanna go to college or somethin'?" Charlotte just smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"If I'm not offending anyone, why does Peter call you Major?" Esmeralda's voice was rather deep for a woman and very pleasing to listen to. Bella would love to hear her sing something.

"Oh, that's a long story—" Jasper started.

"Ha, there is a short version," Peter interjected. "Jasper was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry when he was changed, and later on, he was fighting in the southern vampire wars, winning every battle, so he became known—and feared—as the Major. See? Short and simple." He sounded very smug, and Jasper frowned.

"You are from the south? You led an army?" Esmeralda asked; there was a hint of distress in her voice now.

Jasper looked at her in the rearview mirror, picking up on her emotions.

"Yes, I'm from the south, born and raised in Texas. But no, I didn't lead the army. The army was Maria's. I merely fought for her. I think Peter is exaggerating a little …" Bella knew that wasn't true; last time Peter and Charlotte had been visiting, she had cornered Peter and asked a lot about Jasper's past. The Major had been feared in the wars, and he had never lost a fight.

"And now you don't feed on humans? And you don't fight?" Jasper smiled a little.

"That's correct." Esmeralda fell silent and seemed to ponder that.

The trip was uneventful, and when they stepped out of the car, Irina and Kate were there to greet them.

"Welcome back, Peter, Charlotte. It's good to see you again. And welcome, Esmeralda." Irina smiled and was rewarded with a smile in return. Jasper looked around.

"Where are the others?"

"Oh, Garrett and Eleazar got into their heads to hunt some mountain goat, and Tanya went with Carmen to donate some stuff down by Willow Creek. They should be back by nightfall. Come on in!" Irina ushered Esmeralda through the door. While she showed Esmeralda the house, Bella went and unpacked her new clothes. She realized she was going to need a suitcase; so stupid not to think about that while they had been in the city. Jasper hung around as usual, and she complained to him about her lapse of logic regarding the suitcase. He just laughed and promised they would order that and anything else she might need online the next day, if she wanted to, after that they went hunting with Peter and Charlotte. The other two had some problems with the animal diet, but they took it in stride, and as Peter used to say, "When in Rome …" Besides, there were hardly any humans around here, so there wasn't much of a choice, really. They didn't bring Esmeralda since they wanted her to have a calmer and more focused experience on her first animal hunt. The four of them were joking around a lot, teasing and fake wrestling all the time.

When the darkness started to fall, they headed back. It had been a very fun day, and Bella felt happy. She hadn't felt that in a long while, and she truly enjoyed the feeling. She looked at her hands while they ran back, her wedding band on her left hand, her engagement ring on the right. She knew Jasper still wore his wedding band as well. Maybe she didn't need to wear them. The engagement ring, with all the diamonds, was a bit big, and she was constantly afraid of losing it. She wouldn't be able to wear them at Cornell anyways, since there was no lost husband—no lost _forever_—in her background story. Suddenly the pain hit her again, just the prick of a needle, but still enough to make her stagger a little. Jasper's hand immediately found hers and squeezed it. She met his eyes gratefully; it was really nice to have someone else who knew what it was like.

Back at the lodge, Garrett and Eleazar were indulging Irina, Kate, and Esmeralda with stories about the climb they had made and how hard the goats had been to catch.

"Well, that's what you get for going after mountain goats." Irina snorted, but then she laughed, and the others joined in. At that moment, they could hear the engine of a car, and soon doors slammed outside, and Carmen and Tanya came inside. They were introduced to Esmeralda, and when Tanya shook her hand, their eyes met, and the two women froze. Jasper immediately turned his head, watching them, as strong emotions of curiosity, wonder and not a little bit of lust rolled off the two of them. Garrett looked from the one to the other.

"Oh!" Garrett exclaimed, and a huge grin split his face. Bella suddenly realized what was happening and gasped. Irina and Kate stood silent, just watching while Carmen also started to smile, and Eleazar chuckled. Peter and Charlotte watched from the couches, a bit apprehensive. Tanya carefully brushed Esmeralda's cheek with her fingertips.

"I had almost given up hope," she whispered. Esmeralda said nothing but intertwined her fingers with Tanya's. Tanya slowly led her up the stairs, and downstairs they could hear a door close.

"Mating?" Bella asked in astonishment. She had never seen it before, only experienced it.

"Oh yes," Garrett chuckled. "Sometimes it's really fast, like now, sometimes it takes years, but when you meet the one …" Carmen smiled and took Eleazar's hand.

Peter laughed from the couch.

"Yeah, like when I met Char, it was just like _shazam_, and it felt like I was hit by lightning." Peter and Charlotte smiled at each other, their love so apparent that Bella felt the hurt creeping back. She absentmindedly rubbed her chest, and suddenly saw pain in Jasper's eyes as well. She realized this must be very hard on him, the emotions flowing from upstairs and from herself. She extended her hand to him.

"Come, Jasper, let's go for a run." He just nodded, took her hand, and they flew out the door.

The newly mated Tanya and Esmeralda made Irina go for a self-imposed, extended vacation to Russia. She was the only one of the sisters alone now, and it was hard for her. Jasper and Bella hastily decided that they needed to move to Ithaca earlier than they had planned—anything to get away from the happy couple. The reminder was just too harsh and too strong for them to cope with for any longer period of time.

* * *

When they finally arrived by the house in Ithaca, Bella gasped. It was a beautiful home, and it was big. Two stories, really old looking, made of stone, and nestled just at the edge of the forest. There was a garage that could house four cars, and the paved driveway was wide enough to park in. Green lawns with fruit and maple trees surrounded it. The flowerbeds were overflowing with peonies in full bloom, their luscious flowers shifting from brightest white to soft pink. Bella got out and took a deep breath. It was quiet here, she could hear the wind in the trees and the air tasted clear and fresh.

"Aaaah," she sighed happily and closed her eyes. "I'm going to like it here, I can tell." Jasper chuckled at her and headed up the stone steps to the main entrance. He unlocked the impressive, wooden double doors and motioned for her to enter first. They had hired a groundskeeper to maintain the garden, and a cleaning service had made the inside habitable. Hence, Bella entered on a shining, dark wooden floor in a huge hallway. It was double height, and above the door was a beautiful stained glass window. There was a staircase on the right side of the hallway, and beside it, a door that led further in to the house. To the left was a big stone fireplace and another door to the left side of the house. Directly ahead, beyond the hallway, was a lowered sitting room with sofas and French doors that led out into the garden at the back of the house.

"This is huge!"

Jasper chuckled. "Of course it is. It was meant for seven people when Carlisle bought it." She nodded, moving into the sitting room. It was evident that Esme had done the decorating here. It was pale on pale, but with some warm brown features to match the original wood that was left exposed. To the right hand side there were three large sofas that formed a square with a fireplace as the fourth side and a low table in the middle. To the left, the walls were covered with bookshelves and books and several comfortable chairs—each with its own little side table—were placed around the room. Bella opened the doors to the terrace outside. It stretched along the whole backside of the building and had a roof resting on pillars. A low bannister of carved stone parted it from the rest of the garden. There was no furniture here, but that could be amended.

Turning back to Jasper, she found him grinning at her, infatuated with her mood.

"This is amazing!"

Jasper couldn't help but to smile at her enthusiasm, her mood was infatuating.

"It's an old house. It was built in 1885." Bella raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned back. The house was only old depending on what—or whom—you compared it to.

"Esme had to tear out quite a lot of the original features, but she tried to replace it as closely as possible. Come upstairs and pick a room."

She followed him willingly up the stairs. They ended up in a corridor where the windows looked out over the backside of the house and into the forest. Every room here was a bedroom with an en suite bathroom, and every room had its own color scheme. Bella knew what room she wanted as soon as she opened the door. The colors were white and a very pleasant shade of green. The bed was a big, four poster one with white gauze hanging around it, covered in thick duvets and pillows. The dark wooden floor was a warm brown, a thick white rug accentuated it, and there were three windows with deep windowsills. Below one of the windows was an antique desk and there was a walk-in closet next to the huge bathroom. Between the two doors was an antique vanity and beside the main door was a small white couch with green pillows. On the walls hung paintings with nature motives, and the whole room was airy and light. Bella loved it.

"It's fitting that you should choose this one. It's the one room that no one lived in before, we used is as a guest room. And my room is just next door." She came with him to look. She would've been able to pick this out as Jasper's room even if he hadn't told her. It had a brown color scheme, and it seemed very masculine. A leather chair was by the fireplace, a couch below the windows, and a huge desk beside the door. The walls were covered in bookshelves and framed maps; there were even a pair of crossed sabres over the bed. But she had to ask.

"Didn't you live here with … Alice?"

He nodded. "Yes, we lived here. I gave the cleaning crew very specific orders. They have stored all of the other's things away in the attic, and changed some things around in here." She nodded quietly. There was no trace of Alice here and suddenly she felt a little sad. Jasper smiled at her and put his finger under her chin, tilting her head up.

"Chin up, sis, you have a whole house to explore!"

There was a big kitchen that looked like something straight out of an interior magazine, all in white and dark wood, and obviously never used. The dining room was next to it with a large table and eight chairs. On the other side of the house, there was a proper library—which made Bella squeal with happiness—and a TV-room. Overall, the house had a feel of being old but with a modern twist, thanks to Esme's skills. Bella explored the whole house as soon as she had unpacked, from the basement to the attic. The basement was more or less empty, while the attic was full of things that had belonged to the members of the Cullen family. She found what must have been Edward's sound system, securely wrapped in plastic and carried it down into her room. She plugged it in, and it worked perfectly. She reasoned that if she wanted to listen to music, she sure wasn't going to do it on a crap system, and she was quite sure that Edward wouldn't mind. Rather the opposite. When Jasper saw what she was doing, he merely commented that she seemed to have gotten further through it all than he had. He still had a very hard time looking at things that had belonged to Alice.

They still had two and a half months before the semester started, and they used the time to get to know the forest close by and go hunting in the different parks that were surrounding Ithaca. They weren't living quite as isolated as they had been in Forks, but it was far away enough so that they could easily hunt if they needed to. The closest neighbor was a few miles down the road, and there were no trails close to them that hikers may choose.

Bella loved it. She actually enjoyed cleaning this house, and since she could move with inhuman speed, it was usually done in a jiff. It gave her an unusual pleasure to see the wooden surfaces gleam like mirrors. Jasper had offered to help, but she had refused him. She needed to do this, this was her home. She had never lived in a home of her own before; she had lived with Charlie and with the Cullens, but this was hers. She needed to take care of it.

She brought fresh flowers in from the garden and put them in the sitting room so that their scent saturated the air. She ordered cushions in warm browns and reds for the sofa and art for the walls online. She asked Jasper what he thought about it, but he just said that she could very much do what she wanted with the house, as long as she left it standing.

They also made sure that there were no flaws in their background stories. Bella Cullen and Jasper Whitlock were not related per se—Jasper was a foster kid in Bella's family, all of whom had perished in a terrible fire.

"This is good," Jasper said. "The closer to the truth we are, the better."

"I agree. Not that it is hard to remember, but it's definitely easier this way." They sat in the sitting room, nightfall outside, and Bella was studying her schedule that had arrived in the mail that morning. She highlighted some of the times and seemed to be pondering something. Jasper looked up from the papers he was reading. He could feel that she was annoyed.

"What is it?"

She frowned. "I have both ethnology and geography at the same time. I have to drop one of them. Stupid schedule." Jasper just laughed at her. She looked up, the wedding band on his hand catching her eye.

"Jasper, we should really consider taking the rings off now, before we start school." He stiffened a little and stopped laughing but met her gaze. She put her papers and pen down and looked at her own rings. She slowly slid them off her fingers. It felt strange. She had become so used to wearing them that she almost felt naked without them.

She looked up at Jasper, seeing him struggle with himself. There was pain in his eyes. She put her rings on the table and slowly scooted over to him on the couch. She carefully took his left hand in both of hers. She took his ring off, never letting go of his gaze.

"This doesn't mean that you don't lover her anymore or have forgotten her, Jasper. It just means that you can't wear this at the moment. Like you couldn't when you were in high school." He took a deep breath; she could hear it catch a little in his throat.

"I will wear my wedding band on a chain and say it was my mother's. You could do the same," she suggested, but he shook his head.

"No, I don't think that would be wise," he said with a strained voice.

"For me, it's better to try and move on. I can remember her without a ring." Bella nodded and put his ring in his palm and gently clasped his fingers around it. He rose and disappeared up the stairs. Bella's eyes followed him and she knew she wouldn't see him again until morning.


	5. Revelations

Chapter 5 - Revelations

Bella was nervous. It was finally the first day of college, and for some reason she felt ten times worse than she had that first day in Forks. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror in her closet. She had decided on a simple graphite gray dress made from cotton, which was brushed so it shone like matte metal. Her only jewelry was the chain with the ring, a silver bracelet, and simple silver earrings. Since it was still unusually warm for Ithaca, she wore a pair of black ballerinas. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and tied it with a black ribbon.

Jasper knocked on her door. "We will have to leave soon. You do know that, don't you?"

She laughed and went to open the door. He was handsome in black jeans, a white button-down, and a gray vest. He had his shirt open a bit at the neck; she could clearly see his scars, but she knew no one else would. He had folded the cuffs of his shirt up just one time to make it less formal, and his watch looked nice on him, being all stainless steel.

"Well, look at you, handsome," she said and smiled, reaching up to smooth down one of the wilder curls of his hair.

"Likewise, sis, you are very beautiful. I'm going to have to spend all my time fending off admirers from you."

She averted her eyes, a little embarrassed, but grabbed her bag and a cardigan and followed him downstairs. They were riding in Jasper's new car, and he navigated fast and sure. Bella didn't know exactly what kind of car it was, but it was dark blue, very sleek, and very fast. She loved it.

Jasper couldn't help but glance at her as he drove. She was indeed beautiful; the gray set her skin off and made it look like alabaster. Her dress was simple, but that only enhanced her features, and made you notice her slender form. Jasper realized that he was doing just that and turned his eyes back to the road.

He parked at the university, and they stepped out under the cloudy sky. This first day was mostly about registering at all the different classes and making sure that their schedules were correct. There was a huge amount of students roaming around the campus, but they still drew attention. They could both hear the whispered comments.

_"__Hey, guys, look! Look at that chick!"_

_"__Freaking supermodel, that one."_

_"__God, she's hot. Wonder if that's her brother or boyfriend?"_

_"__Look at that guy! My god, he's gorgeous!"_

_"__Oh, he can come to my dorm anytime."_

_"__Look at that dress, that's an Armani! I must look that one up, I never thought grey could look that good …"_

_"__I sure hope I have some classes with her …"_

_"__I wonder if they are together? We have to find out."_

And it went on. Bella looked at Jasper and rolled her eyes; Jasper just smiled and put an arm around her shoulders. His touch was calming and made her feel safe.

"No worries, little sis, I'll fend them off for you," he said in a low voice right by her ear.

She giggled a little, both of nervousness and that people was actually noticing her.

The day went by fast. They had three classes together, but the rest of the day they were on their own. Bella realized that she didn't need to worry about finding her way; there were helpful people everywhere. Male people. She managed to strike up a conversation with some girls, though, and they might be friends to her eventually. She would like that. But mostly she sat quietly and listened as she kept the burning in her throat in check. The thirst wasn't as bad as she had feared, but she still kept a tight rein on herself, ready for any sign that she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Jasper had similar experiences, but his helpers were almost all females. He didn't try to talk to anyone, though; he focused on listening and making sure he was in control of himself.

They met up at lunch to share their stories, sitting under one of the trees that grew on one of the many lawns around campus, and enjoying the cloudy but warm day. Several other students were gathered there as well, some of them eating. Some glanced at them, but it seemed that the effect of the new students were wearing off, to Bella's relief.

The afternoon continued very much the same, and Bella realized she had most of her classes with a girl named Karen. It was Karen who approached her and not the other way around, and that made Bella very happy.

"Hi, I'm Karen," she said, a little shy.

Bella smiled back. "I'm Bella, pleased to meet you. We have a lot of classes together, right?"

Karen nodded. "Yeah, so I thought maybe we can walk together to classes tomorrow?"

"I'd love to. Shall we meet at the parking lot at eight thirty?"

Karen's tense shoulders relaxed some. "Thank you. I hate going all by myself. Will that _guy_ come with you?"

Bella laughed. "Jasper? Yes, he will. He's my brother."

Karen raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I don't see the resemblance. And everyone here thinks he's your boyfriend."

"He was a foster kid with my family, so there is no gene-deep relation, but he's family, the only one I've got left except for some cousins up in Alaska."

"That sounds serious. What happened?" Karen wondered, sounding worried.

Bella motioned to her to follow as she slowly started to walk toward the parking lot. Jasper would be waiting for her. "There was a fire. If you don't mind, I really don't want to talk about it."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"

Bella smiled at her and shrugged. "No worries. Now you know."

"He's really good looking, that brother of yours," Karen said with half a smile, and Bella laughed.

"I know. Want to meet him?"

Karen blanched. "No thanks. I really don't know what I would say. Cute guys make me tongue-tied in a very bad way!" Both laughing they parted ways, Karen going toward another part of the campus and Bella heading toward the car. Jasper waited for her, leaning against the car with a smile on his lips. He really looked stunning. Bella could see the girls that passed him and looked at him with longing eyes, and she didn't blame them. He opened the door for her and then climbed in on his side.

"So, how was it?" he asked.

"Fun, I think. I met a girl. Her name is Karen, and she seems friendly enough. We have a lot of classes in common, so we're meeting up tomorrow to walk together."

"That's good. Anything else happen?"

"Not really. Just a lot of girls hankering over you," she teased.

He gave a short laugh. "Not nearly as many as the boys aching for you, sweet Bella. Trust me." He grinned at her and pointed to his head.

She giggled a little—he would know. He turned his eyes back to the road, and she fell silent, a little embarrassed. She still couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that she was beautiful now. Sure, she knew it to be true in her mind, but in her heart … To her it had always been enough to be beautiful to Edward.

Jasper glanced at her; she was chewing at her lower lip. He hadn't seen her do that in a while.

"Is something the matter, Bella?" he asked, not being able to get an accurate read on her emotions.

She gave him a small smile. "No, not at all. I just got to thinking about some things. No worries."

Later that night, Jasper stood out on the terrace, looking at the moonlight flooding the lawn. He had just realized that he had a problem and a bad one. At least he thought so. The problem had a name, and it was Bella. That day, it had suddenly struck him how beautiful she really was. Of course he had realized that long before now, but today it had hit him in a way that had made him see things more clearly. All those comments about her from the other students had struck up a jealous streak in him, making him feel very protective of her. More than he would—or should—feel for a sister. He was attracted to her; there was no denying it. He glanced back into the sitting room where she was on the sofa, reading. Her hair was in a messy bun at her nape, she wore her favorite pair of jeans, and she was barefoot. And she was so beautiful. Her cheeks a pale pink, her lips just a shade darker, and her slender body … He forced himself to look out into the garden again, to push the images of her out of his mind. She still missed Edward, and she was still grieving. And above all she was his _sister,_ for crying out loud! He made an agreement with himself that he would never, _ever_ mention this to her. He just hoped he could keep his promise.

The weeks passed by, and autumn came for real with wonderful colors. Bella and Karen had become great friends. Karen lived on campus, since she was from Los Angeles. Her parents were rich—not Cullen rich, but still rich—but she didn't like to flaunt her money, and she preferred simple clothing, a trait she and Bella had in common. Bella also had a very persistent admirer by the name of Dan. He continuously asked her for a date, bought her coffee—that she had to dump as cleverly as possible—and followed her around. Bella could see that Jasper didn't like that at all, and she started to fear for Dan's health. She knew that Jasper knew that she could handle herself. But he was rather protective of her, even more so now than before when they had lived in Alaska.

One morning when she came down the stairs, ready for school, Jasper gave her an envelope. It was of thick ivory paper, with the Cornell coat of arms up in the corner. The address was calligraphed by hand. She arched an eyebrow and looked at him. He held an envelope just like hers, but he had opened his.

"What's this?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's an invitation to the annual Cornell Charity Ball. It's by invitation only, and far from everyone passes the threshold to get one of these."

Bella frowned and opened hers. The card inside was indeed very exclusive—made from thick, ivory paper with an elegant frame around the text—and stated that she was invited to the ball, RSVP. She read the dress requirements.

"Holy crow, it's a white tie event! Who on earth gives those anymore?"

Jasper just laughed. "This is a very old tradition, I guess it's a reflection of that. They invite people not only from the college, but outsiders as well, as long as you're rich enough."

Bella made a face. "I guess we are rich, aren't we?"

He just smiled, and his eyes sparkled at her.

"Do we have to go?" She almost whimpered.

He laughed, remembering her adversity to school dances. "This is not Forks High, Bella; this will be a _little_ bit different. But no, we don't have to go. It's for a good cause, though. Could you at least think about it? It could be fun. And you do remember our talk about actually _spending_ some of your money?"

Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth again, distracting him a bit. "All right, I won't decide right now," she stated.

"Good. Come on, let's go or we'll be late."

Karen attacked her in the parking lot, very excited about something. "Bella! Oh please tell me you got an invitation!"

Bella could hear Jasper chuckle quietly as he exited on his side. "And good morning to you too, Karen," Bella said with a smile.

The other girl was almost jumping up and down. "Never mind that. Did you get one? To the ball?"

Bella sighed. "Yes, I did, both Jasper and I. So what?"

Karen looked at her incredulously. "You are going, right? I mean, it's _the_ event around here."

"I'm not really into all of that ball-dancing-stuff …" They started their way toward class, Jasper right behind them. To Bella's dismay he was still chuckling.

"Oh, please, Bella! You have to come! I can't go there alone, and my parents really want me to go. I _have_ to go. Please come?"

Bella sighed again.

"Have a good day, ladies," Jasper said, turning toward his first class, saying goodbye with a quick touch on Bella's arm. Bella felt a small sting of loneliness as he disappeared through an archway.

"Bye, Jasper!" Karen called after him. "You know you don't need to bring a date? I mean, you can go with Jasper. And I think that Jeff will be there …" Karen's voice trailed off, and Bella laughed. So, this was not only about what her parents wanted.

"Aha, so that's why! For heaven's sake, Karen, you've been pining after him since you first laid eyes on him. Why don't you just ask him out or something?"

Karen's face reddened. "Oh no! I can't do that! I'm not that brave. And I would just mess up. But at a ball, maybe he'll dance with me." Her eyes became unfocused as she lost herself in reveries.

Bella slapped her on the arm, very gently, startling her.

"Hey, wake up, dreamy girl. I'll think about it, okay? No promises though."

Karen squealed and hugged her, never caring for the fact that Bella's skin was cold or her body so much harder than her own.

As the day went by, and Bella went through the motions of school, she pondered the ball. She had always hated such things while growing up, but there was a difference now. For instance, she was not clumsy anymore. And she could dance now. Maybe this wouldn't be so horrible? It was for a good cause, and they did have money to spend—that wasn't an issue. She would make Karen very happy. Maybe she could even help Jeff to notice her somehow? Jeff was a really nice guy, brown haired and ordinary, but with the most beautiful and kind brown eyes. Unfortunately, he was rather shy, and he always seemed so focused on his studies, not really noticing anything else. Not even Karen staring at him from across the classroom or hallway. And since he was part of one of the richer families in the US, he was sure to have an invitation. At least she herself would be going with Jasper—if they did go—and that made the whole thing seem much more bearable. She could almost picture Jasper in a dress suit, tall and handsome. Bella sighed. Okay, she could do this. And it might be fun. Maybe.

When they sat in the car, heading home, Bella told Jasper about her decision to go.

"Great, I was hoping you would cave in to Karen."

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Well, good for you. But I need a dress, and I guess you need a dress suit, at least?"

"Yeah. What do you say about going to New York for the shopping?"

She turned her head and just looked at him. "New York?"

He nodded, and she arched an eyebrow. "There's a store there that Alice used to go to. It's very nice and very high end. They will have anything you could possibly need. We could bring Karen along, perhaps?"

Bella shuddered a little. High-end shopping was a bit outside her comfort zone, but if Karen came with them, then maybe it would be bearable.

"That could actually be fun. And it would make it less painful to find a dress. But it's a four-hour drive, and we would have to stay overnight."

"Or we could fly," He grinned at her.

"What?"

"We just charter a small plane and fly there. It's fast and easy. And it also means less time for me cooped up with her in the car, which is a good thing. She does smell rather good."

Bella hit him on the shoulder. "Jasper Whitlock, don't you even dare!"

"As you say, ma'am," he answered, smiling, exaggerating his southern accent and giving her a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

They met Karen at the airport early Saturday morning. It was cloudy, and the weather channel had promised it would stay that way the whole day both there and in New York. Jasper had arranged the whole thing, the chartering of the plane and the visit to the high-end store. He had called the store to let them know that they were coming, and from what Bella overheard it seemed like Alice's name opened quite a few doors. Karen had been shocked at first, but then ecstatic. The plane was a small private jet, and it was very luxurious inside. Jasper whispered to Bella under his breath that the Cullens were very good customers of the charter company, and they usually got VIP treatment whenever they used the company's services. Karen just stared at everything before she sank down in one of the generous leather chairs.

"I mean, my family is rich, but this … this is awesome!" Then she looked at Jasper and Bella as they took their seats and the plane started to taxi out. "How rich are you guys? Really?"

Jasper just smiled. "We have enough."

There was a limousine waiting for them on the tarmac when they exited the plane, and it took them directly to the store. It was in Manhattan and it had a shining glass façade. It looked very exclusive. A doorman held the door for them, and inside they were greeted by a host of clerks who started to pamper them and see to their every need. The girls were ushered away up a staircase to the second floor and Jasper in another direction down stairs. Soon the girls found themselves sitting on a sofa, looking at dresses that the staff presented for them.

"This is the best shopping trip ever!" Karen hissed in Bella's ear.

Bella just smiled.

A brown gown caught Bella's eyes. It was a rich, dark golden mahogany, with an empire waist and a skirt made of layers of shimmering chiffon. The top was embroidered with sequins and crystals in matching hues and white pearls, but even so the design was simple enough to get away with it without being gaudy. The neckline was quite modest, but there was a deep cut in the back. She liked it a lot.

"It's a very good choice, miss. It's an Elie Saab, and it's a variation on the gown that the crown princess of Sweden wore to the Nobel feast a few years back."

Bella just nodded, having no idea who the woman was talking about—she did know what the Nobel Prize was, of course. She was brought to a separate room with mirrors along the walls and some comfortable chairs. She got help undressing and then help getting into the dress. It was a little long for her, but the woman that measured and fiddled with the fit assured her that it was no problem. They brought shoes for her to try that were just a shade darker than the dress and had heels that in her former life would have made her run in terror. The ensemble looked really good.

"I have to go and see what Karen thinks," she said, not trusting her own judgement in these matters. The woman of course opened the door for her. Karen was not there, though—Bella could hear her voice from another dressing room—but Jasper was. He was apparently done, casually leaning against the wall, looking like a Greek god as usual.

She smiled at him and twirled. "What do you think Jasper? Is this good enough?"

He stared at her before he smiled. "You look so beautiful, Bella. It really complements your hair and eyes."

"Great, then I'll have this one. And the shoes." She pulled up the dress so he could see the high-heeled brown shoes.

"Yeah, they look very nice. Get whatever you want, Bella. I'm all done, I'm just going to run an errand, and then I'll be back. I bet I'll be done before you are." He smiled a crooked smile at her, kissed her on the cheek, and disappeared. She noted that his eyes seemed a bit dark; hadn't he been hunting yesterday? At the same time, Karen came out of her room in an elegant, light pink dress. The color was soft, and set of her complexion beautifully. It was shoulder-less and had a wide skirt. The bustier was cut quite high and embroidered with flowers in he same color as the fabric, making it subtle. Some flowers trailed down on to the skirt and it had a seamless waist. Karen's light brown hair suddenly had a shine of warm gold in it, and her blue eyes seemed even bluer.

"That dress is amazing on you," Bella said truthfully.

Karen blushed a little. "Margret here made me try it on. I've never much cared about pink before."

The woman that had helped Karen just smiled and tugged at the dress a little.

"And, Bella, you should totally get that one. You look taller, and you hair is gorgeous with it. It even matches your eyes."

Bella smiled at her friend. She had hunted more often than necessary to keep her eyes golden, never letting them turn completely black as to not evoke any suspicions.

"Well then, that was easy," Bella stated feeling relieved that it hadn't been more of an ordeal. "Let's get going!"

Karen and Bella both returned to their separate rooms, and Bella got help getting out of her dress.

"Shall we look at some lingerie while we're at it?" Bella's helper asked.

"Sure thing, bring it on," Bella smiled. She didn't have that much fancy underwear; this could be fun. She looked at several sets, trying on bras and whatnot. She decided on three sets that were not too frilly—she really didn't like too much lace—and very comfortable.

"Well, this will be a nice surprise for your boyfriend, will it not?" the lady said.

"My boyfriend?" Bella was a little confused.

"Yes, the young man that came with you, he is your boyfriend is he not? He sure looks at you like he is." The woman giggled.

Bella started to get dressed, completely lost in her own thoughts. No, the woman must be mistaken about the whole thing. But then, she had felt his eyes on her lately, not to mention today, but she had just credited it to Dan's approaches and Jasper being even more protective. Maybe it was something else? She admitted to herself that he was indeed gorgeous, so strong, still so lithe, and everything she could ever wish for.

And then there were those strange sensations that his smiles had brought on lately. But he was her brother, was he not?

With a deep breath she focused and put the thoughts out of her mind, that and the notion that every time he left her she could feel the pain again, albeit not at all as forceful as before, and that she only felt completely whole when he was close.

Jasper walked out from the ladies showroom breathing faster than normal. He had made himself a promise, but it was getting harder and harder to keep. She had looked absolutely stunning in that dress, and her legs … He shook his head as he headed out of the store. But his mind couldn't keep from the images of her: the subtle curves, her eyes deep with emotions and secrets, and her scent! It filled his head, made him daydream about her. He crossed the busy street, heading for a jeweler just a little way down the block. It was also a very high-end establishment; he had been there several times before. He wanted Bella to have some nice jewelry for the ball because everyone else was going to. He had wanted to see her dress in order to decide what to get her, and he had an idea.

As Jasper had predicted, he was back in the shop before any of the girls were done. He called up the limo, though, so that it would be ready and waiting when they were. They came down from the upper floor giggling, with hands full of bags. He smiled; it sure was nice to feel the happiness and expectations rolling off of them.

"There," Bella said. "We have everything we need, except the dresses. They will send them on when the alterations are made. Where to now?"

"Lunch," Jasper said. He motioned to the car. The doorman held the door for them, and the driver helped them into the car with all their bags.

"I must say," Karen commented, "that this is the best shopping I've done. Ever. I mean, private jet, limousine, and this store … Do you shop like this every time?"

Bella laughed. "No, far from it. I usually shop on the internet. So it's nice to splurge a little from time to time." She turned to Jasper. "Where are we going?"

Jasper smiled. "You'll see. You must be starving by now."

Bella raised her eyebrows at him.

"Oh yes," Karen said. "I'm famished!"

The restaurant had been really nice, situated on one of the rooftops with a magnificent view of the whole city. Both Jasper and Bella had eaten very sparingly, and both excused themselves to the bathroom to choke the food back up. It was uncomfortable, but Bella was glad that Jasper had thought about Karen's needs. Karen didn't seem to notice anything strange, and she kept on chatting and laughing all the way home. They drove her home and then they were finally alone again. It had been a long time since they'd had such intense interaction with a human. But it had been a grand day.

Bella unpacked all the items she had bought. There was the lingerie, but also some really nice silk pajamas, and some simple silk camisoles and shorts. After her change, she had realized that she really liked the feel of silk on her skin, so she had treated herself. She had also bought pins with pearls for her hair, so she could do something nice with it for the ball. She had bought two pair of shoes; beside the brown ones she had found a grey pair, with lower heels, but very elegant. She looked around in her wardrobe. She had never shopped this much before in her life, and it amused her. But it also made her sad. There was a reason for her not shopping before. Alice had done that for her and had helped her starting to like nice clothes.

She went back into her room and lay down on the bed. As she stared up in the ceiling her mind started to wander. She thought about Alice, and that inevitably lead her mind to Jasper. Was she attracted to him? She thought about that, his golden hair, his kind eyes, his amazing body. She felt a slight tug in her stomach. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, there was definitely something there. She would have to ponder this carefully, and she would not say anything about this to anyone until she was absolutely sure what she was feeling.

Bella and Jasper went hunting that Sunday and then back to school on Monday. Karen met them in the parking lot as usual, still exited over the trip they had made. She chatted away as she normally did, but she could see that Bella's mind went somewhere else from time to time. She didn't ask though, not wanting to pry. When the day was over and the girls were heading toward the parking lot, someone called at them from behind.

"Bella!"

Bella threw a glance over her shoulder, already knowing it was Dan, and sighed.

He came up to them, grinning. "Hey Bella, how are you?"

Bella and Karen kept on walking, and Bella ignored him.

"Aw, come on, Bella, give me a break here! Are you going to the ball? I bet you are. Want to go with me?"

Bella stopped and glared at him. "No. Leave me alone." She started again, and he gripped her arm.

"Oh, no you don't. Look at me when I talk to you!"

Bella stared at his hand wrapped around her upper arm, and then met his eyes. His eyes widened when he registered her expression, and suddenly he was kneeling on the ground, whimpering with pain. Jasper was standing behind him with a grip on his shoulder. His eyes were furious, and Bella could hear a faint growl rumbling in his chest. He was very angry. Then he let Dan go and moved so he was standing between Bella and Dan.

He cupped Bella's cheek in one hand and met her eyes.

"Are you all right?"

She just nodded. His eyes bore into hers like never before, glowing with fury and worry.

"You fucking bastard!" Dan exclaimed from behind Jasper. He had managed to get on his feet, and now he was fuming.

Jasper turned and looked at him with cold eyes. "Touch her again, and I will kill you." Jasper's voice was quiet and calm, but Bella could hear the underlying rage. Dan suddenly backed away and started running back toward the university.

"Wow," Karen said in a low voice. Bella met her eyes, she wasn't afraid; no, she was awed.

"I'll wait by the car," Jasper said stiffly and walked off, almost too fast.

"Bella, are you okay?" Karen asked.

Bella took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm fine." She was looking after Jasper as he crossed the parking lot and got into the car.

Karen followed her gaze. "Brother or no brother, Jasper loves you, Bella. He loves you a lot. You two definitely need to talk."

"And say what?" Bella whispered.

Karen looked at her, her head tilted slightly to one side. "That you love him too. You can't fool me, Bella."

Bella averted her eyes and sighed. "It's not that simple." Then she followed Jasper to the car.


	6. Realization

A/N: Sorry it took so long! The poor Betas at Projekt Team Beta seem to be a bit overworked, but they did an excellent job with this, as usual. Handing me a chapter full of marked commas, as usual, but also with some really good remarks. Thank you Bree and NinaQ!  
Chapter 7 will go to the betas today, that will be the last chapter. Then there is an epilogue. Hang in there.

And I don't own Twilight. I wish.  
To see a picture of the aforementioned dress, google Crown princess Victoria Nobel 2010. It's a variety of that one.  
Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 6 - Realization

She was alone in the house that evening while Jasper was hunting. He had been very disturbed by his own behavior. It had been very hard for him to make sure he didn't hurt Dan for real, so he had decided to go for a hunt and some alone time. Bella huddled on the sofa, staring into the open fire. She could feel it again, now that he was absent, the hole in her chest. She didn't know what to do. She knew she loved him, but did she love him more than a brother? She wasn't sure. Could she let anyone else into her heart ever again? She had found her mate in Edward, and everyone knew you only got one mate. But what about love? Love was complicated. There were a lot of things to consider, and it felt like her thoughts were racing around in her head with no end in sight.

The next two weeks were awkward around the house. Neither Bella nor Jasper seemed to be able to talk about what had happened, so they spent their time at home separately, not knowing what the other one was doing. One evening Bella decided to listen to Edward's music. She hadn't done that since Jasper had shocked her out of her depression almost a year ago. The music was beautiful, and even though it hurt to hear it, it wasn't the same kind of hurt as before. Yes, she missed him—dearly—but now she could look back and treasure what she'd had with him, and not just keel over from pain. She realized that she had indeed moved through to the other side.

At school they kept up appearances, of course, and they were good at it. Only Karen guessed that something was the matter, but she didn't push the issue. The three of them agreed to go to the ball together, and Bella and Jasper would pick Karen up in the limousine they were going in. The day of the ball Bella changed into her dress and did her hair in a large bun high up on the back of her head. She used the pins to mark the base of it; it matched the dress very well. She put on just a touch of makeup and then sat in front of her mirror looking at herself, every anticipation about the ball gone and replaced by hopelessness. This was not what she had envisioned, Jasper and her being so far apart. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and she startled. She had been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't heard him approach.

"Come in, Jasper," she said, shocked.

He entered the room, so handsome that she had to swallow. He was in his dress suit and moving so naturally that it looked like he wore that every day. He had a flat box in his hands and a small smile on his lips.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Bella, but I have something for you."

She revelled at the sound of his soft voice; it sent a shiver down her back. He placed the small box on the vanity where she sat and opened it. Bella gasped. It contained a delicate choker made from pearls and yellow topaz and matching earrings and a bracelet.

She touched it carefully. "This is so beautiful, Jasper. I've never worn anything like this."

He lifted the choker and put it on her; it fit perfectly and accentuated the slender arch of her neck. He stood behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders and meeting her eyes in the mirror. His touch made heat pool in her stomach.

"We need to talk," she whispered. They could both hear the car pulling up in their driveway. Jasper nodded, his eyes dark golden and burning into hers.

"Later," he answered with a strained voice.

She nodded. He left her room, and she put the rest of the jewelry on. She descended down the stairs, and he looked up at her with such longing that she rushed down to him and into his arms. He held her close, breathing in her beautiful scent. Then he let her go, put her cape on her shoulders, and they stepped out into the night.

They picked up Karen and managed to chat away with her. She was happy and exited. Jasper never let go of Bella's hand, and she didn't want him to. When they exited the limo at the big hall where the ball was held, there were photographers, and they eagerly snapped pictures of Jasper going up the stairs with one girl on each arm. Bella smiled a little as Karen blushed. She knew exactly how the other girl felt, but her own blushing days were over. Karen was so beautiful this evening. She had spent the whole day at the hairdressers, getting a very elegant hairdo and makeup that enhanced her natural beauty. The pink dress was beyond perfect on her and around her neck she wore a single strand of pearls.

When they entered the main hall there was a short silence, and both Bella and Karen averted their eyes, unused to the attention. Jasper led them to the side where they were served a glass of champagne, and when they looked around again everyone had taken up their conversations.

"Wow," Karen said.

Bella giggled a little, feeling nervous. Jasper's hand was at her lower back, and it felt safe, but she was still anxious about the talk they were going to have. What if things didn't work out?

The eyes she could feel on her from around the hall—albeit discreet—didn't help. They talked a little between themselves, and then they were joined by one of Jasper's classmates and his girlfriend, and the discussion flowed out into subjects of their studies and sports and other college business.

An hour later Karen poked Bella and leaned toward her, blushing a little.

"There's Jeff!" she whispered and made a small gesture. There he was indeed, and he had come alone. Bella smiled. This could really be good. Of course Karen hid behind Bella when Jeff's eyes glanced over them.

"My God, I feel like I'm twelve all over again!" she complained to Bella. "I don't know what to do."

Bella sighed. "You know he will never see you if you hide from him."

Karen sighed in turn. "I know. I just … I just freeze up when he's around." Her shoulders slumped, and Bella felt sorry for her friend.

She stroked her arm gently. "Just wait for a little while. Maybe he'll walk by."

Karen nodded, but she didn't look happy.

Waiters appeared, carrying trays with canapés, and when they disappeared the music started. It was classical ballroom music, and the dance floor started to fill. Jasper took Bella's hand and smiled at her, a warm smile that would have made her heart beat faster had she had one.

"Would you do me the honor of a dance, ma'am?"

She giggled back. "Yes, if you stop calling me 'ma'am', dear sir," she answered, copying his accent. He swirled her out on the dance floor, and she felt as if she was floating. They didn't talk, just looked at each other, and she let him lead. This was so easy, twirling around, just being silent together.

At the side line Karen could hardly believe what she saw. Bella and Jasper looked like professional dancers out there, outshining every other couple. They were so beautiful together, and it looked so effortless. Was there nothing they didn't excel at? She also paid attention to the way they looked at each other. Oh yes, they were definitely falling for each other. Karen didn't know exactly what had happened in the past except that there had been a fire, but she knew that things like that could bond people to each other. That seemed to be the case here. She just hoped that they both realized it so there was a happy ending for her two best friends.

After a while, Bella tore her eyes from Jasper's gaze and noticed that Karen was still standing where they had left her, not dancing. She also saw a rather handsome guy come up to her and obviously ask her to dance, but she refused. Bella frowned a little and looked around for Jeff. He was standing in the corner opposite, oblivious to everything else except his smartphone. Bella huffed.

"What?" Jasper wondered.

Bella met his eyes again, and almost forgot what she was going to say, drowning in the molten gold.

"It's Jeff. And Karen. We have to do something."

Jasper looked around and saw the problem. He halted their dancing and led Bella back to Karen.

"If you excuse me, ladies, I'll get us something to drink." He made a small bow to them, which made Karen giggle, and disappeared through the crowd.

"Oh, Bella, you looked amazing out there!" Karen exclaimed.

"Thank you. Jasper is a very good dancer."

"I'll say. Have you talked to him yet?"

Bella frowned. "About what?"

Karen giggled. "Oh please, Bella. You know what I'm talking about. You're both so in love with each other it's almost palpable. You have to talk to him. You can't go on like this."

Bella looked down at her fidgeting hands, and Karen put her hand over Bella's cold fingers.

"You're my best friend, Bella. I just want you both to be happy."

Bella looked up at her. "So do I, Karen. I just—" Right then Jasper returned with Jeff in his wake. Karen made a surprised sound and clamped her lips shut. Jasper handed Bella a new glass of champagne.

"Karen, Bella, this is Jeff. I think you know him?"

Karen just nodded, staring at Jeff with huge eyes. Jeff seemed a little embarrassed and couldn't hold her gaze.

"Oh yes," Bella said. "We have several classes together."

Jeff looked at Karen again.

"Hrm, Karen, I was wondering, would you like to dance with me?" He held out his hand, and Karen took it, nodding again. Jeff brought them out onto the dance floor. Bella smiled, and she could hear Jasper chuckle beside her.

"That was rather brave of him," she commented.

"Yeah, a little boost of confidence and every problem is solved." Jasper answered.

Bella looked at him with wide eyes.

"You did that? Oh my. What if he—" Jasper interrupted her.

"He wanted to dance with her. Badly. He was just too shy. I only helped a little."

Bella laughed. "Well, I guess I'll have a phone call tomorrow."

Jasper chuckled again, putting his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, breathing in his scent. He smelled so good. She let her emotions get away from her, and she could feel Jasper tense a little. He leaned his head down to her.

"What do you say we get out of here?" he whispered, his voice a little husky.

"But what about the charity? The donations haven't started yet," she whispered back.

"I'll deal with that. Wait here." And he was gone, leaving her feeling empty.

"So, your brother, huh?" a voice suddenly said behind her. She turned and met Dan's glare. He had his hands in his pockets, and he looked like he had bit down on a lemon.

"That is none of your business, Dan. And he's not really my brother, you know that."

"Still gives me the creeps, the two of you. You really shouldn't have turned me down, Bella. You don't know what you're missing."

She looked at him from top to bottom.

"I see exactly what I'm missing, and trust me, that I can live without." She glared at him.

"Oh please, Bella, just give me a chance! We could be great together." He touched her arm, the other hand still in his pocket.

She shrugged back from him.

"Leave me alone, Dan. It's for your own good."

He made a face but stalked away to her relief. She turned back to the dance floor where Karen and Jeff were talking and laughing while dancing. She smiled at that and then Jasper was back, wrapping his arms around her waist standing behind her.

"It's all taken care of. We'll take the limo home, then send it back for Karen to use when she decides to leave."

Bella smiled.

"She might not need it," she said and indicated toward the couple on the dance floor. She could feel Jasper chuckle.

"Well, we need to tell her we're leaving anyway." Bella nodded and freed herself from Jasper's arms, unwillingly. She made her way out to Karen and interrupted the dancing.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, Karen, Jeff, but we're leaving."

"Oh no, why?" Karen asked, looking worried.

Bella smiled at her. "I'm just not that into this stuff. I told you so, remember? But we'll send the limo back for you, so no worries. And I'll see you Monday?"

Karen dropped her worried face and smiled. "Of course. You go have a nice evening Bella."

"And don't worry," Jeff said. "I'll look after her, I promise."

Bella smiled at him. "Have fun, you two."

The ride home was quiet with Bella sitting close to Jasper, their hands intertwined on his lap. But she could feel her own nervousness growing. What would happen now? She could only see two ways that this could end. To her it seemed to be going the right way, but she wasn't sure. She just didn't trust herself to believe that she could have another shot at happiness. Inside the house, Jasper took her cape. She looked at him, his eyes burning with questions and longing.

"I need to change, Jasper. Then we'll talk."

He nodded, and she hasted up the stairs and inside her room. She quickly stripped out of the dress and carefully hung it back in the white garment bag. She changed into one of her camisoles and shorts, but not out of her fancy underwear. She washed her face, and then started to undo her hair in front of her mirror.

All of a sudden, Jasper was in her doorway, casually leaning against the frame. He had also changed. He now wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but he was barefoot. Bella felt her gasp almost hitch in her throat at the sight of him; he was so beautiful. The T-shirt was clinging to his defined chest and arms, the jeans hanging low his hips. She freed the last pins from her hair and let it fall down around her shoulders. She reached for her brush, but he was faster, and he started to brush her hair with long, even strokes. It was an intense feeling, so tender, and yet so much more. She met his eyes in the mirror.

"So," she whispered with an unsteady voice. "We need to talk?"

Without her noticing how, she was suddenly pinned to the wall, his body flush against hers, his eyes glowing with lust and love, and she could feel her own heat smolder inside her. He gently graced his lips against hers. She growled in response, one of her hands tangling in his golden hair, the other gripping him tighter to her. She kissed him back fiercely. He answered her with his whole body, a moan coming from the back of his throat. She easily jumped up, clamping her legs around his slender waist, and with their faces now at a more equal height, she opened her mouth and let him in. He tasted wonderful, like sunshine and honey. He slowly backed up to her bed and sat down with her on his lap. His hands, so strong and yet so gentle, found their way under her camisole and stroked her skin; it made her shiver in delight. He pulled the garment over her head and kissed down her neck. He quickly unhooked her bra and cupped one of her breast gently with his large hand while kissing the other. She moaned, wanting more. She tugged his T-shirt up and off him and pushed him down on the bed. For the very first time she saw all of his scars. They were criss-crossing his neck and shoulders, covered his arms and chest, but she found them beautiful. She gently kissed her way down his chest and started to undo his jeans.

Suddenly she was on her back in the bed, him on top of her, and he kissed down her neck and chest, just like she had done to him. His kisses left a blazing trail on her skin, and she could feel how heated her core was. She needed this badly. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pushing his head downward, toward her center. He slowly stripped her naked, and then his fingers finally touched her where she wanted it the most. She growled with lust. It had been so long. His tongue swiped through her folds as his fingers entered her and made her arch.

"Oh, Jasper!" she cried out. Comets were shooting behind her eyelids and explosions going off in her body. He moved up to her again, she realized he was also naked, and she could feel his arousal. He kissed her deeply and then entered her for real. Her nails dug into his back and her legs clasped around his hips and urged him on. He projected his lust onto her, as he felt it from her, on and on in an endless circle. Filled with need, it went fast, and as they came, they looked into each other's eyes, marveling at each other.

They lay beside each other, curled into one another, both very content. Bella traced some of the scars on his chest, and he gently stroked her hair.

"That was a nice talk," she said with a low, smiling voice.

Jasper chuckled.

"Indeed." He placed a kiss on her hair, and she looked up on his face. She gently caressed his cheek, his temple, and his lips. At the same time as she felt whole and content, a small voice at the back of her mind told her that this was wrong. She sighed and sat up. He sat up as well, facing her, gently tilting her head up to look at him.

"I can feel what you feel, my love. Don't. Do you really think they would have wanted us to go around here being miserable?"

She could feel the truth of his words, the small voice going silent.

"No, I don't believe that."

He gently brushed his lips against hers.

"I love you, Bella. I will not leave you." She couldn't help herself, but touched his chest, tracing the scars, her hand moving down his perfectly muscled stomach. He groaned a little and leaned forward to kiss her in earnest. She answered, and they tangled together on the sheets.

Bella lay still, feeling the happiness and love swirl through her, both her own and Jasper's. She felt as if she had been lost for a long time, and now she was finally home. Her head rested on Jasper's shoulder, and he held her close. It was not as if they needed rest, but they both found it very comfortable lying there, quiet and together. He started to move a little and she could feel his lust. Her own body responded almost before she was aware of it. She giggled, and he hoisted her up on his chest and kissed her. She was just about to say something when her phone rang. Both their heads turned toward the sound.

"That has to be Karen," Bella said.

Jasper sighed a little.

"I guess you'd better take that then. She'll be dying to do some girl talk." Bella groaned. She didn't want to leave the bed, or Jasper for that matter, but they had appearances to uphold. She gracefully got out of the bed, found her phone, and answered. Jasper looked at her as she moved, so beautiful and all his.

"Hi Karen," she said with a smile.

"Oh Bella! It was just wonderful!" Karen continued to chat, not noticing that Bella didn't interrupt. Bella sat down on the bed again, trying to disregard the fact that Jasper was kissing her neck and shoulder with soft lips.

"And then, when we got to my apartment, he kissed me goodnight! And it was such a kiss, I felt like my knees were giving out! And he just called me, checking that I was all right. Oh Bella, thank you!"

Bella stifled a small gasp as Jasper nipped at her neck.

"Thank you for what, Karen? I wasn't there to tell him to kiss you."

Karen laughed. "You and Jasper made him come over and dance with me. Thank you. And, speaking of Jasper, did you talk to him?"

Jasper looked up from her neck and met her gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"Eh, yeah, you could say that …" One of Jasper's arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She could feel his arousal pressed against her, and his lips graced her neck again.

"And? What happened? You have to tell me everything!"

"It went very well, but I can't talk right now. Tomorrow, okay?" Bella could feel Jasper chuckle as his hand started to caress her thigh and hip.

"Aw, but okay then. I'll see you tomorrow." Bella was hardly aware that she said goodbye and hung up, already caught up in Jasper's lust and hands.

"You were talking about me?" He breathed into her neck. She groaned and leaned back into him, his hand finding her center, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything else.

"Yeah, she realized something was up …" Bella started to breathe faster, and then swirled around, pushing Jasper down on his back and straddling him.

"But enough about that. No more talking."

He just smiled at her.

They were a little later than usual that Monday morning, having showered together and gotten caught up in each other again. As they walked past the parking lot, Jasper put his arm around her waist, and she didn't complain. She could feel some people looking at them, but she really didn't care. Jasper was there, and that was all that mattered. They met Karen at the usual spot and she was positively glowing. She smiled a huge smile at them when she saw them.

"Well, hello. You two seem to get along a bit better now, huh?"

Bella made a small, nervous giggle. She wasn't sure she was prepared to answer all of Karen's questions.

"Indeed," Jasper answered, a smile in his voice.

"Wonderful!" Karen exclaimed and hugged Bella.

Bella freed herself from her friend and looked around. "Where is Jeff then? Shouldn't he be here?"

"Oh, we already had breakfast together. His first class is on the other side of campus, so he really had to leave, but we'll meet again for lunch. Want to join us?"

"Sure," Bella said. The three of them started walking toward their classes, Jasper leaving the two girls to head to his, but not before kissing Bella goodbye. Bella looked after him as he left, wanting nothing more than to just run after him and kiss him some more.

Karen smiled at her. "I'm so glad for you two, Bella. You fit so well together, and you both deserve this. You look so much happier."

Bella smiled, and arm in arm they walked to their class, happily chatting away.

Jasper couldn't really focus during the day. He could pinpoint Bella's emotions wherever she was, her feelings so pure and happy that he could just drown in them. He had to be careful so that his own emotions didn't leek through. It was harder than usual to rein them in and not project them, but he went through the motions, counting the seconds until he could be with Bella again. He wondered a bit about what lucky star had made this possible, for them both to find love and happiness again, after all that had happened. He did realize that Alice must have seen this and that this was one of the reasons she had urged him to care for Bella. A hint of sadness hit him, but it was not as hard as before. Back then it had been all consuming and painful, now it was a bittersweet memory of something he would always treasure.

* * *

Thank you for reading


	7. End Game

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but the poor betas over at Project Team Beta have had their hands full. To my despair they have also announced that they will stop with the awesome job they have been doing.  
This is the last chapter of the story, but I had to write an epilogue as well :). Thanks for reading!

* * *

Chapter 7: End Game

Winter passed and then spring. Bella and Jasper had been in Denali for Christmas, together with all the others. Even Peter and Charlotte had attended much to their joy. Everyone had known about them, of course, but they had all been so happy for them that Jasper had to tell them to stop—their emotions were just too much. It had been a very fun and happy stay, even though Irina sometimes had looked a bit lonely.

One starry night, high up on a mountainside where the snow had glittered like diamonds around them, Jasper had asked Bella if she wanted to marry him. He had explained that he just wanted it out in the open, for the entire world to see, and that they both had learned that forever wasn't always forever. He had been very clear with the fact that he would have completely understood if she didn't want to. He knew how opposed she had been to the matter before. Bella had pondered for a whole minute before she had accepted, on the condition that the wedding wasn't going to be big. It would be enough with only themselves and their family. Jasper had agreed. He had given her a ring, a simple gold band—no diamonds, no stones.

"When I was a young man," he had explained, "this was the ring you used. There were no fancy stones on the engagement rings back then." She hadn't objected, quite happy to have a ring that wasn't too big and not drawing too much attention. Then they had made love in the snow.

Karen had almost exploded with happiness when they returned to school after the holidays, and she saw the ring on Bella's finger. Bella had managed to redirect her questions by asking about Jeff, and Karen had immediately ventured into a lavish description of how Jeff had spent Christmas with her and her family, and they all had had a wonderful time.

* * *

Now it was summer; the weather warm but usually cloudy, and in one week's time, the semester would be over. Bella and Jasper were going home to Denali to get married, and then they planned to travel before they started their second year. It was a nice evening, a light rain drizzling, and Jasper and Bella lounged on the couches in the living room. Bella lay with her head in Jasper's lap as he stroked her hair and looked out through the open terrace doors. They were waiting for the dark to fall completely so they could go hunting. Bella was reading, but she could feel Jasper's mood and put the book down, looking up at his face.

"Hey, love, what's the matter?"

He blinked and met her gaze, her eyes dark but still golden. "Just remembering the south, darlin'. Wondering about Peter and Char mostly."

She moved and sat in his lap in a second. She gently caressed his cheek, tracing one of his scars. "I'm sure they are alright. You taught them. They can take care of themselves."

He nodded slowly, moving his gaze to the trees outside again. "Yeah, but that rogue pack is still out there."

She stiffened as he mentioned the wolves; they had been out of her mind for quite some time now. Slowly she relaxed and nestled into him, resting her head at the crook of his neck. "Then we'll go find them. We can even go before we go to Denali. I don't mind."

It made him smile; she could feel the contentment emanating from him. "I love you, Bella. You do know that, don't you, darlin'?"

She looked up at him, his accent making heat pool in her stomach. She was just about to say something when they both suddenly froze. There was a scent drifting through the open doors. Two vampires were very close. At once they were both in the doorway, listening, tasting the air, and Jasper feeling the emotions of the strangers. When he relaxed, Bella did the same, following his lead. He was the one with the most experience with this kind of thing, so she trusted his judgement. Two shapes suddenly emerged from the woods and headed straight for them. They were both clad in grey cloaks, one of them much darker than the other.

"Volturi," Bella breathed.

Jasper nodded. "But we know one of them. It's Demetri."

The two figures didn't stop until they were under the terrace roof. Then they both flipped back their hoods. It was indeed Demetri and another man they didn't know.

"We meet again, Bella, Jasper," Demetri said in his soft voice, his stance casual.

Bella wasn't fooled. Demetri was a very accomplished fighter, and until they knew why he was here, she wouldn't let her guard down.

"So it seems," Jasper answered.

"I've come to ask for your help. Can we come inside?"

Bella and Jasper sat down on the couches. Demetri joined them but the stranger remained standing.

"This is Adam. He's my bodyguard for this journey, so forgive him if he seems a bit tense. You have that effect on people, Jasper, but I'm sure that you are aware of it."

Jasper gave a single nod, putting his arm protectively around Bella's shoulders.

Demetri watched them. "I can see that things have been going well for the two of you. Congratulations."

They waited in silence.

Demetri moved a little, seeming to be uncomfortable, letting his gaze glance around the room. "Alright." He sighed, and looked down at his hands. "Aro sent me here, despite the fact that both the Denali coven and a certain Peter said he shouldn't. We your help." At the last words he looked up at them, and they met his gaze with raised eyebrows.

"Since when does the Volturi ask for help with anything?" Jasper asked.

"We've always asked for help when we have had the need for it. It's not often, but we are not above recognizing that we are not all powerful."

Jasper scoffed. Demetri made a grimace but continued.

"Hear me out. We found the rogue shifters a couple of months ago, and now we have finally managed to corner them. Unfortunately, they are not easily dealt with. There were thirty-two when we finally caught up to them, and while we herded them to where we could contain them, we carefully diminished their numbers. However they are very powerful, and we have lost many guards."

Bella could see Demetri avert his eyes, and she could feel Jasper move a little beside her, the other man's grief obviously leaking through to him.

"Their Alpha is indeed gifted, just as you said. He can shield his pack from any mental attack, and he has complete control over them. It was horrible to see—he sent some of his own pack to a certain death just to test our strength and to show us what he could do."

Bella shuddered.

Demetri took a deep breath and looked up at them. "We have come to an agreement with some of the protector packs, and a few of them are with us in this. Your old friends, the Quileutes, are there. I think you know Jake and Sam, right?"

Bella's eyes widened in astonishment. "What? They agreed to work with you? I can't believe it."

Demetri gave half a smile. "Well, this pack was giving all the other tribes a lot of grief. Once we had been able to reach an … _understanding_, we realized that we all needed to pool our resources for this one time. We have already gathered allies, like the Denali coven, Peter, Charlotte, even some people from the south. And that's where you two come in. We need the Major and your shield, Bella."

Jasper stiffened and sat up straighter. "Why on earth would you need me for this? You have Caius and Felix. I have had it with all that."

His voice was a low growl, and Bella clasped his free hand in hers to calm him.

Then she turned to Demetri. "Why do you need us, Demetri? You have enough gifted people in your ranks, do you not?"

Demetri made a deep sigh and looked down at his own hands again. "Because we are having a hard time winning this. They managed to kill Jane." The silence that followed was profound.

"What?" Jasper asked eventually with a low voice. "How did they manage that?"

"The Alpha's gifts are very powerful. He managed to turn some of the protectors that were on our side, evening out the numbers. On the other hand, we have been able to prove that if the turned ones are dragged far enough away, his hold on them releases. So we guess that a powerful enough shield would do the job." At this Demetri glanced at Bella. "And his own shield is powerful enough to keep anything out, they managed to separate Jane and just a few guards and …"

They could both hear him swallow.

Bella looked up at Jasper, and he met her eyes. She was very calm when she spoke. "Our friends are there, and I would really like to see those rogues die for what they did to us, and for what they are still doing."

Jasper carefully stroked Bella's cheek and then kissed her gently. "Yes. But this will not be pretty. You have never seen that side of me, love, it might not be pleasant."

She smiled at him. "I love all of you, Jasper—light and dark sides alike."

He just nodded and then turned back to Demetri. "We will come, but we need to hunt. We were just on our way when you came. Where are we going? And how?"

"We are going to Utah. We have them cornered against some mountains there on a reservation, believe it or not. I can tell you all about it on the way. We have a private plane waiting at the airport."

The plane ride was fast and uneventful, and Demetri told them more about the situation. They had been allowed to drive the pack onto the reservation since humans avoided that particular part of it. The tribe that lived there had a small pack themselves, but it was made up of only three individuals, and the tribe lived at the other end of their reservation. The area where the fighting was taking place was devoid of any human civilization, and though there were some roads going through the area, they were rarely travelled.

They touched down in Salt Lake City and were met by a guard in a black SUV. They headed east through the mountains and continued on by following the highway at first. Then they left the highway and started down small winding roads, only to finally stop in the middle of nowhere. They got out and Demetri showed the way as they ran. The mountains were high and got steeper as they moved through the landscape. There was a forest here, but it was very different from what Bella had encountered before. The ground was dry and sandy, and full of stones, interspersed with shrubbery. The trees were tall and spiny and seemed to cling to the rocks and slopes. It wasn't dense. The trees were spread out far wider that Bella was used too. Still she found it beautiful. Streams had carved their way through the stone in several places and made for amazing sights. None of them had time to stay and appreciate it though.

Soon they entered a plateau, and they got the whole view of the situation. To the west, straight ahead of them, a valley dug into the steep mountainside. The walls were steep as in a canyon. In front of the valley's gap, there were people stationed and they could see grey cloaks swirl about. Farther out from the gap, they could see shifters, mostly wolves, moving in packs. Several tents were erected, big structures that you easily could stand up in. There were very few trees up here on the plateau and the wind was harsh. As the wind changed direction slightly they caught all of the scents; it sure was a mindful. Shifters scents mixed with vampires in such a jumble it was a shock to the system. Bella staggered a little, and Demetri grinned at her.

"It takes a little getting used to."

They could see guard patrols, but they passed them without halting. When they reached the main camp, there was a welcoming committee waiting for them. In the front were Aro and his entourage, and behind him, Bella could see the Denalis and Peter and Charlotte. She was not completely prepared for the assault from her right side by someone hugging her and lifting her of the ground.

"Bella!" a familiar voice bellowed, and she laughed. Jake's happiness was as always overwhelming. She freed herself quickly though, placing a calming hand on Jaspers chest that was vibrating with his growl.

"No worries, Jasper. It's only Jake."

Jake backed off, hands up and non-threatening. "So sorry, guys. Tanya told me of that protect-your-love-thing you vamps have going on. I get it. I was just so happy to see you, Bella."

Jasper calmed down but he was still glaring at the young man.

Bella smiled. "And I'm happy to see you too, Jake, believe me. But now might not be the best time."

Jake just grinned, his white teeth flashing. "I get it, I really do. We have the imprinting you know? But maybe we can talk later, all three of us." He hastily added the last words as he saw the gleam in Jasper's eyes. Bella just smiled and shook her head, then turned both herself and Jasper to face Aro.

Aro's face was a mask of tolerance, but it was clear that he didn't like the exuberance of the boy. Bella remembered Sam's colorful answer to the suggestion of the wolves helping the vampires out and couldn't help a small giggle. It was apparent that it wasn't only the wolves that had a hard time with this union, temporary as it may be. Aro took a step forward and inclined his head.

"It is with great pleasure I see you here, dear ones. I am very glad that Demetri managed to convince you to come."

Bella frowned. "We're here because you need us, and because those rogues need to be stopped."

Aro met their eyes, his white skin seeming even paler than the last time Bella had met him.

"I'm grateful. We have had losses. If you follow me please, I will brief you on the situation." He turned and walked toward the tents.

"Oh, no, ya don't, not so fast!" a well-known voice declared, and Peter hugged Jasper with a laugh. When he let Jasper go, he captured Bella in a bear hug as well.

"It's good to see ya both here, guys! This is gonna be a good fight, trust me!"

Jasper put an arm around Bella's waist and pulled her close as the rest of their family came to greet them. The Denalis were not as happy as Peter to be here. They were still glad to see Bella and Jasper though, and Charlotte was overjoyed. Bella realized that Charlotte was looking forward to this fight just as much as Peter did.

They had to let go though and follow Aro. He had disappeared into one of the tents, and they followed him, hand in hand. Inside it was mostly empty, except for a large table with a map on it and some chairs against the walls. Marcus was there as well, standing in a corner together with two others and talking in low voices. Caius was nowhere to be seen. Aro motioned for them to come to the table. On it was a very large-scale map of the immediate area, and there were some lines drawn on it in red.

Aro pointed at it as he explained. "We have the pack cornered in there, in the narrow valley. We think there are twenty of them left now. They can't scale the walls in there, and they have no water and very little food. Still they do not give up. This red line here"— Aro pointed to a semi-circular line that cut the plateau in two parts just outside what seemed to be the campsite —"is the range of that turning-gift of this Alpha-mutt. The protectors that are here with us can't go any closer or they will be affected. As you can understand this has hampered our tactics, and we can't launch a full attack."

Jasper studied the map. "How many guards and others do we have?"

"Thirty with the two of you."

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "These wolves must be some fighters."

Aro bent his head. "They are. They move as one, all following their Alpha's every bid. He controls them."

"So we really need the help of the protectors then," Jasper concluded.

"And that's where I come in I guess," Bella stated.

Aro met her gaze. "Yes. Your friends begged me not to call upon you, stating that you two had been through enough. Unfortunately I can not take that into consideration. The situation is far too dire."

"They killed our family, our mates. We will help," Jasper said.

"Thank you. We do need to test Bella's shield to see what she can do, but after that, we will annihilate them."

* * *

Bella watched as Jake smiled at her, and then he took a few steps into the affected zone. She held her shield around him, hoping it would work. If not, Jake was surrounded by guards—and Jasper—who would drag him to safety. Of course Jake had volunteered for the test to Bella's dismay. If this didn't work, he would be hurt, and she didn't like it. Jake took a few more steps and nothing happened.

"This seems to be working," he said with a grin.

"We can't be sure yet," Sam answered, standing next to Bella, looking a bit anxious.

"Then I'll just wait here for a bit," Jake declared, standing still with his arms crossed over his chest. The other protectors watched from a safer distance, not really wanting to immerse themselves in the smell of the vampires.

Half an hour later, Jake strolled back to Bella, still grinning.

"You are awesome, Bells! I knew you could do it!"

Bella just shook her head. "It wont help if you're all going to fight. I can't keep you all shielded. Sam?"

Sam nodded his consent, and Bella applied her shield to him.

Immediately she could feel the rest of his pack, Jake, Leah, Embry and Quill, even though hey weren't anywhere close. A smile spread on her face.

"It works! As long as I have the Alphas, I have you all."

Jasper caught her in a hug that lifted her off the ground and kissed her deeply. "You are amazing darlin'. But then, I already knew that."

She smiled at him.

"Very good," Aro said, having watched in silence. "And it also tells us that we need to take out that Alpha. If his shield is anything like what you have, Bella, it will probably work the same way. If he shields himself, he will shield his pack."

"Can we lure him out?" Jasper asked.

Aro seemed to ponder this. "We must. My brothers and I will make sure that we are seen—that should make for some excellent targets. And …" Aro's gaze turned to Bella. She could feel Jasper freeze beside her, understanding what Aro meant.

"Hell no!" Peter said, taking a few swift steps to place himself between Bella and Aro.

Aro pursed his lips and cocked his head to one side. "It is the ultimate target. The one threat he will make sure gets killed."

Jasper moved Bella behind himself, and both Tanya and Jake suddenly flanked her.

"Aro is right, you know," Bella said with a clear voice.

Jasper turned and looked at her, fear in his eyes. "No, Bella. Please."

She reached up and cupped his cheek, smiling at him. "Shhh. Jasper, you must see the reasoning here. But can I count on you to keep me alive, alright?"

Jasper's eyes clenched shut, and he leaned his forehead against hers, his hands on her shoulders. When he spoke, his voice was very quiet and very strained. "If you die, it will be the end of me. I can't take this one more time."

"I won't die. I don't want to leave you, Jasper. And even though I'm not as a proficient warrior as you are, I still know how to defend myself. Besides, I doubt that I will walk in the first line."

"No, you will not," Aro said. "She will be standing with us three and our guards. We will protect her."

Jasper straightened up and turned so he could face the Volturi lord. "You'd better. Or I will find you afterward. You don't want that. I promise you."

Aro inclined his head.

It was nightfall and everyone was in position. Bella stood between Caius and Marcus while Aro was a bit ahead of them, overlooking the stretch of land up to the entrance into the valley. Caius had Alec beside him, and they were both very silent, their faces hard and cold as ice. They were both mourning the loss of Jane. Bella looked to her right and left where the Alphas of the protectors were. Her shield was already over them, and thus she could sense all the protectors that were with them. Just in front of Aro she could see three familiar silhouettes: Jasper, Peter and Charlotte. They were not about to let anything get through to her. Jasper turned his head and looked at her, and she smiled back. He still looked a bit worried, but Bella was confident that she could do this. She would lure that Alpha out, and they would all get their revenge. Darkness fell; there was no moon tonight, only stars. Not that it mattered to them. Everyone was waiting. The wind was the only thing that made a sound, whispering over the ground.

Suddenly, there was a howl from inside the valley. Bella focused on her shield as she could see the vampires crouch down in anticipation and the protectors scratching their claws in the ground. Wolves poured out from the gap, teeth bared and snarling. They fell upon their attackers without mercy. But this time the lines held, the protectors and the vampires fought together. Bella could feel something putting pressure on her shield, but it held without much effort. On her signal, the Alphas started to move forward, her and the Volturi lords with them. They stopped some fifty meters closer to the gap. Bella looked for Jasper. She could see him wrestle a really huge grey wolf, but he was holding his own. There was no doubt in her mind that he would win that fight—she knew what he was capable of. The fight seemed to be going well for them.

Then there was a second charge of wolves from the gap, and they were coming straight for the Volturi lords, the Alphas, and for her. The guards around them and the Alphas rushed to meet them. Bella focused once again on her shield, stretching it and bending it, so that all the Alphas were under it. It was almost easier than usual; she guessed that the adrenaline made a difference. More rogue wolves came to help their brothers, abandoning their positions on the battlefield, trying to get through to the Volturi and Bella. Soon, even Caius and Marcus were involved in the fighting while Aro shouted orders a bit farther away. That's when Bella saw the wolf that was coming straight for her, running very fast. She braced herself; this could get tricky since she had to hold the shield. The wolf jumped on her. She managed to kick it to the ground, but it got up again with lightning speed. It attacked a few more times, but she managed to hit it and fend it off while keeping the shield up. It was straining though; she sure hoped someone would come to her aid soon.

A well-known shape flew through the air and pounced at the wolf. It turned on its new attacker and growled, and it became a blur of fur and arms. Suddenly, the wolf yelped, and she could hear a loud snap as its spine broke. Jasper looked up at her, his eyes black. There were scratches from claws on his face, and Bella had never seen him look this dangerous before. His eyes said everything though: his love for her, his fear of losing her. She saw movement over his shoulder and screamed out. The wolf that came at them now was like nothing she had ever seen. It was black and it was huge, its red eyes gleaming with madness and blood thirst. Its sharp claws tore at the dirt as it jumped, landing on Jasper and knocking him to the ground. Bella could hear the terrible sound of grinding vampire flesh, and then she really didn't know what was happening. Her shield transformed around Jasper, pushing the huge wolf away, and Jasper was on his feet in a second. He was growling fiercely but he seemed intact. The wolf came at them again and jumped, but it was as if it jumped into a glass wall.

The fighting around them was intense now, every rogue wolf still alive was at their position. The huge wolf jumped at them again, and this time Jasper leaped to meet it mid-air. They landed in a heap on the ground but were up and fighting so fast it looked like a blur. The wolf was on it hind legs, its jaws snapping at Jasper. Jasper held the wolf at bay while trying to get punches in at its ribs. Bella focused everything she had on her shield, keeping the Alphas in and this wolf out. She knew this was the rogue Alpha, and no one knew what would happen if he got under her shield as well. And she was worried about Jasper. Suddenly a russet shape jumped the big wolf and knocked it on its side. The big russet wolf, that Bella would recognize anywhere, sank its teeth into the black wolves back leg, and there was a loud snap and a yelp. Then Jasper was upon it again, and Demetri made him company—leaping in from the side. Suddenly, there was a growl, an even louder snap, and all went quiet.

Jasper and Demetri straightened up and took a step back. Jake backed up as well. The big black wolf lay dead in front of them. It started to shimmer, and before them, it transformed into a young man. He couldn't have been more than seventeen at the most. Those who were left of the rogue wolves suddenly started to phase, and cries of pain came from everywhere. Bella dropped her shield, feeling drained. She was caught up in Jasper's arms, and he held her so close. She wrapped her legs around him as he lifted her up, kissing him and pushing all of her love at him.

"It's over," she whispered in his ear.

He nodded and buried his face at her neck.

* * *

The End.


	8. Epilogue

A/N: I dedicate this epilogue to my beta Bree. She has been stuck with me through all of it. Thank you for your patience, Bree. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you.

* * *

Epilogue

In northern Montana, almost on the Canadian border, there was a log cabin. It was remote, and no one knew that it was there. No humans anyway. The cabin was small, just two rooms, but it was enough. A huge bed, the only real excess in this little home in the woods, occupied the bedroom. Bella laid in this bed, staring out the window. Jasper's head was resting on her shoulder. Her hair was spread on the pillows, and the sheets were crumpled around them. The only sound was some birds outside and their own breathing. She was very happy.

Jasper snaked his arm around her waist and kissed her neck softly. "What are you thinking of, darlin'? Your emotions are as sweet as honey."

She smiled and met his gaze. "Of you, of course. And of how happy I am. The fact that I get to keep you forever makes me warm inside." She held up her hand and looked at her wedding band. It was a golden band with rubies in a line—very simple, very elegant, very her.

Jasper took her hand and kissed the ring. Then he looked at the clock that was on the wall.

"We should get going, love. Or we won't be there until next month."

She laughed and buried her hands in his golden hair, pulling his face to her and kissing him deeply. "You are right. We really should. Jake will be pissed if we don't come. We did promise."

He looked at her, his beautiful wife, his equal in every way. "We can always come back here afterwards."

"I'm counting on it."

* * *

Jake stepped outside as he heard the big jeep make its way toward the house. The car came into view, and he waved at them. Bella was driving, and Jasper was in the passenger seat. She parked to the side of the yard, stepped out, and then Jake caught her in a big hug.

"Welcome, Bella. It's good you see you again."

He had a huge grin on his face, and Bella returned it.

"It's good to be back, Jake. How are Billy and Charlie?"

"Out fishing, as usual. No worries. The rest are out back, come on."

Jasper took Bella's hand, and they followed the huge young man around the house. It had been three years since they had been here last, not wanting to trigger anything accidentally by coming too often or staying too long.

In the backyard three barbeques were set up, and the whole pack was there to greet them. Seth was, as usual, the most easy-going of them, hugging both Bella and Jasper. The wolf-girls were there as well, and this time including Emily; she hadn't been able to make it the last time they had been here.

Now she hugged Bella and greeted her eagerly. "I know I'm late, but let me see it!"

Bella laughed at her and held up her hand, showing off her ring.

Emily sighed happily. "It's beautiful, Bella. I'm so happy for you both."

Bella glanced at Jasper with a smirk. "Four years and counting. It's bearable."

Jasper laughed and pulled her to him. "That's not what I heard when we had to get out of bed to get here, darlin'."

Emily laughed at them and dragged them along to introduce them to the new members of the now quite large extended pack-family. There had been more imprints. Seth, Leah and Jake had found their matches since last time, and some of the "older" couples had cubs of their own now. Jake's imprint, a beautiful young woman by the name of Sarah, was heavy with child. It was to be their first, and Bella was very happy for them.

The gathering continued into the night. Some of the toddlers were fascinated with the two vampires. Both Bella and Jasper let the children touch them, only to see them scream in delight and rush back to their parents. After a while, several of the families left, and the party died down. Jasper stood by one of the still glowing barbeques and talked to Sam and Seth, and Bella found herself sitting alone with Jake.

"So," she said and smiled at him. "Sarah seems like a very nice girl. Congratulations."

Jake smiled and took a swig of his beer. "She's amazing, Bells. And to see her like this, with my child … It makes me all soft and mushy. Sam's giving me pain for it, says an Alpha can't be like that."

Bella laughed a soft, low laugh. "Maybe he should have thought about that before he decided to stop phasing and making you Alpha."

"Yeah, maybe. Enough about me, how are you doing?"

Bella shrugged. "Just fine. More than fine, really. I'm wonderful. We haven't quite decided what to do yet, now that we have both graduated. But I couldn't be happier."

Jake took another swig and stared up at the night sky, seeming to be pondering something.

"But he isn't your mate, right?"

"No. You only get one mate. We 'only' love each other." Her smile was brilliant. "For us vampires, love is a very strong thing, it changes us to the core. While the mating is predestined, love is still a very strong bond. And since we both already have met our mates, there is no risk that anyone will take him from me."

Jake nodded slowly. "I remember Edward saying something along those terms. I'm really happy for you, Bells."

They smiled at each other and the stars kept on twinkling above.

Bella and Jasper climbed into the jeep and headed out of the reservation close to midnight. They were both silent, comfortable with each other's company, and feeling a bit nostalgic. Bella drove the old, familiar road back to Forks, passing Charlie's house. The lights were out, so she stopped the car for a few minutes. They sat there, looking at the small yellow house where it had all begun.

Jasper put a hand on her thigh in comfort; he could feel sadness and longing starting to emanate form her. "You miss him," he stated quietly.

"Yes. He's my father, and for those short years I lived with him, he was the best father anyone could have." She sighed and then drove off.

They continued north, and found the driveway, even though it was almost overgrown with brackens and grass. The jeep made it easier as they turned off the highway and continued along the overgrown road. When they reached the clearing, they both got out and silently walked together, hand in hand, up to the small mound that was all that was left of the old house. The forest had claimed the clearing again; shrubbery was shooting up everywhere in the tall grass. The mound was covered in moss and grass, but you could make out some rectangular shapes under it all, traces of what had been. To them, the faint scent of ash still lingered in the air. They stood there for a while, not talking, listening to the familiar sound of the river, their memories conjuring up images from a happy time. Silently they turned and walked back to the car and got in. They drove out to the road again and continued into the night.

* * *

A/N: I have some stories lined up, but as of right now I have no idea if I can get a beta for them or not. So bear with me and hang in there, and I will post something as soon as I can.  
Thank you to all of you, my dear readers, your support has been wonderful.  
Until next time!


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